ATLANTIC
by ravendarkholme23
Summary: She was a tsunami. He was a tornado. In which, two demigod children of rival gods, manage to work together in the worst of battles. In which, the world stopped turning when Jason Grace's blue eyes met Nerissa Jackson's sea-green eyes. {Heroes of Olympus} {Lost Hero} {Jason Grace / OC} {COMPLETE}
1. ALPHA

**_ALPHA | EXTENDED SUMMARY AND CAST_**

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the _Heroes of Olympus_ series or any of the characters. I only own the character Nerissa Jackson and her original plot lines and dialogue.**

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Nerissa Jackson was the daughter of Poseidon and she was expected to be one of the best, to be able to conquer any fear and any enemy.

But the one fear she couldn't conquer, was the fear of losing her family.

After getting Zeus' lightning bolt back and travelling to the Underworld, sailing the sea of monsters and getting the Golden Fleece, fighting a Chimera and holding the weight of the sky alongside her twin, stumbling through the Labyrinth and battling in an arena and finally defeating the Titan, Kronos, and his army, Riss thought that she would finally be able to relax. To finally protect new demigods with her new power given to her by the gods and to live a seemingly normal life at camp with her brother and best friend during the summer and to live life as an ordinary, mortal sixteen-year-old with her mother, step-father and brother.

But then, her twin brother, Perseus Jackson, disappeared and a goddess is to blame.

So, a girl, who is too alike to a tsunami, heads to the Wilderness School in search of her brother and meets a boy, who is too alike to a tornado, who she can't forget.

 **XXXXX**

 ** _'You'll understand why storms are named after people.'_**

 _F. Scott Fitzgerald_

 **XXXXX**

 ** _Barbara Palvin as Nerissa 'Riss' Jackson_**

 _[THE WARRIOR] [DAUGHTER OF POSIEDON]_

 ** _Logan Lerman as Perseus 'Percy' Jackson_**

 _[THE REBEL] [SON OF POSEIDON]_

 ** _Alexandra Daddario as Annabeth Chase_**

 _[THE GENIUS] [DAUGHTER OF ATHENA]_

 ** _Lucas Till as Jason Grace_**

 _[THE ROMAN] [SON OF JUPITER]_

 ** _Kelsey Chow as Piper McLean_**

 _[THE VOICE] [DAUGHTER OF APHRODITE]_

 ** _Jake T. Austin as Leo Valdez_**

 _[THE MECHANIC] [SON OF HEPHAESTUS]_

 ** _Kaya Scodelario as Thalia Grace_**

 _[THE HUNTER] [DAUGHTER OF ZEUS]_

 ** _Jane Levy as Rachel Elizabeth Dare_**

 _[THE ORACLE]_

 **XXXXX**

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 **New story! Whoot whoot!**

 **I actually like this cast a lot too.**

 **~ Raven**


	2. BETA

**_BETA | NERISSA JACKSON REMEETS SOMEONE SHE CAN'T REMEMBER MEETING_**

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the _Heroes of Olympus_ series or any of the characters. I only own the character Nerissa Jackson and her original plot lines and dialogue.**

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Riss couldn't understand how he had got there.

Of course, yeah, she remembered seeing him before, but it was like all her memories of him were fuzzy. Piper McLean sat beside the unknown blonde boy, her hand in his and Leo Valdez sat in front of them. Riss knew them, she was sure of that but the boy was a blank and it was weird.

What was even weirder, was that Riss found herself curled up into the unknown boy's side, his arm tightly tucked around her shoulders, pulling her into his chest like they knew each other really well; like they cared _very_ deeply about each other, which contradicted Piper's hand in his. Riss' legs were stretched along the remaining two of five seats in the back of the bus and she swung them down onto the floor.

Nerissa Jackson, the powerful daughter of Poseidon and twin sister to Perseus Jackson was a young half-blood with 'boundless potential,' as Chiron always told her, and was currently on the bus of the Wilderness School. They were on the way to the Grand Canyon for a school excursion – Riss knew from experience that nothing ever _good_ happened on school excursions.

With practiced ease, the girl with the sea-green slid away from the boy who she vaguely remembered was named Jason and headed to the front of the bus.

"Hedge," she called, ignoring the stunned looks she received from the students when the short man at the front didn't snap at her.

"Nerissa, what is happening here?" Gleeson Hedge asked gruffly and Riss' eyes rolled at her full first name.

Nerissa pointed back to the backseat of the bus, straight at Jason who was beginning to wake up and look around, " _Who is he_!?"

Hedge shrugged carefully, knowing all too well what the low hiss to Riss' voice meant. Nerissa had a horrible temper – much like her father could have at times – and Riss couldn't help but glare at the unhelpful satyr. He was almost as bad as her brother! But at the thought of Percy, the Jackson girl mellowed. They _needed_ to find him and the ever-present tug was in the pit of her stomach, warning her that Percy wasn't faring too well.

Riss headed back to the seats and stopped in front of Jason with a glare. Jason looked up at her, finally managing to disengage his hand from a slightly-hurt Piper. The boy stood up, looking into Riss' eyes. He was only an inch or two taller than Riss but he felt a lot shorter, the daughter of Poseidon was menacing.

"Who are you _really_ , Jason?"

Jason opened his mouth, "Um, I don't—"

Hedge stopped him from answering the dark-haired beauty in front of him completely. "All right, cupcakes, listen up!"

Cold, light fingers hooked around Jason's wrist and he found himself being dragged into the seat again, this time closer to Riss. Neither of the two saw Piper's frown when Jason didn't remove Riss' hand from his wrist. Quickly glancing at him, Riss could tell that Jason was analysing Coach Hedge.

"Stand up, Coach Hedge!" Someone called from the chairs and Hedge retorted, "I heard that!" and turned his beady little eyes to the students, trying to find the offender. When the coach saw Jason, his scowl deepened, and then deepened even further when he saw how close Riss and Jason were sitting.

Coach Hedge cleared his throat, looking away, "We'll arrive in five minutes! Stay with your partner. Don't lose your worksheet. And if any of you precious little cupcakes causes any trouble on this trip, I will personally send you back to campus the hard way."

The coach picked up his baseball bat and mimed hitting a home-run, causing Riss to scoff. He was a _satyr_ , he was supposed to look after the demigods, not terrorize them. Jason turned to look at Riss, somehow feeling more at ease with her than the girl on his other side, "Can he talk to us that way?"

"He shouldn't, but always does. This is the Wilderness School," Riss notified the blonde boy, knowing he was confused beyond belief.

"'Where the kids are the animals,'" Piper joked, trying to direct Jason's attention back to her. She had been dating Jason for a few weeks and she had no clue why her _boyfriend_ had suddenly taken an interest in her best friend. But then again, Piper _remembered_ that they had always had some sort of connection that had never made sense.

"This is some kind of mistake. I'm not supposed to be here," Jason told the girls and the boy in front of them, who turned and laughed at Jason's statement.

"Yeah, right, Jason. We've all been framed! I didn't run away six times. Piper didn't steal a BMW. Nerissa didn't drive a stolen limo into the ocean and trash stuff worth thousands of dollars."

Piper blushed, "I didn't steal that car, Leo!"

Riss shrugged, rolling her eyes. She had to admit, it wasn't the best decision, but she had been rounding up the last of Kronos' strays and was desperate. Nerissa was being chased by a hellhound through Manhattan, trying to get it away from the people and…well, the limo had been there. Driving a limo away from a hellhound _did_ beat running away from a hellhound. And the hellhound had jumped into the ocean after her only to be sent back to Tartarus when she threw champagne, a TV (that's where the thousands of dollars' worth of damage came from) and an arrow at the beast.

"Oh, I forgot, Piper. What was your story? You 'talked' the dealer into lending it to you?" Leo Valdez raised his brows at Jason, not believing Piper's story. He was glad Riss didn't deny her 'crime,' it would have lowered his thoughts of her – his exact word and something that he had told her before – _badass-ness_.

"Anyway, I hope you've got your worksheet, 'cause I used mine for spit wads days ago," Leo paused and grinned widely as Riss extracted a spare worksheet from her pocket. She knew what Leo was like, and they had bonded over a shared love of mischief in the time Riss had been in the Wilderness School.

"Here, dumbass," Riss stated, passing Leo the sheet and Leo gave her a wink. Leo didn't have feelings like that for Riss but it sure was fun to mess around and the Latino boy didn't miss how Jason stiffened.

Leo frowned at the look on Jason's face, something caught between a frown of confusion and a glare that was supported by the way that Jason's fingers were now intertwined with Riss', "Why are you looking at me like that? Somebody draw on my face again?"

"I don't know you," Jason stated plainly, his hand was in Riss' now, holding on tight, and although Piper and Leo had noticed, Riss and Jason had not.

Leo grinned widely, which Riss found slightly creepy, "Sure. I'm not your best friend. I'm his evil clone."

Riss moved forward, putting her lips near Jason's ear to whisper as Hedge yelled at Leo, "We'll figure this out – we have to. Because I don't know you either."

Jason stared at the black-haired girl as she moved back. Her green eyes were piercing and full of truth and it was as if, with a single lock of their eyes, time stood still. The sound of Coach Hedge's megaphone and the yelling kids died down. Jason thought that he had seen eyes like hers before, but couldn't place them – but honestly, he couldn't even remember his own age!

" _The cow says moo_!" Rang out around the bus, along with laughter from the students. Coach Hedge put his megaphone down and yelled, "Valdez!"

Piper stopped herself from laughing, "My god, Leo. How did you do that?"

Leo showed a tiny screwdriver hidden in his sleeve to the other three, "I'm a special boy."

"Yes, you are, my friend," Riss couldn't help but agree with a laugh.

He was special, as were Piper and Jason. She had gotten almost an automatic read on him – he was a demigod. After the battle of against Kronos and the other titans, the Jackson twins had been offered immortality. Annabeth was what made Perseus stay, instead making the gods – _all_ the gods and goddesses – promise that their children would be claimed and would all have a home at Camp Half-Blood before the age of thirteen, no matter how minor their godly parent was. Nerissa had stayed for Percy and her mother, and had instead gotten the ability to be able to sense the godly parent of the demigods that she went looking for with the satyrs – however, her powers were like her friend Rachel's, after stating the godly parent, Riss didn't remember what she said. That was why she was always paired with a satyr and was currently stuck with Gleeson Hedge.

"Guys, seriously." Riss looked at the pleading boy. "What am I doing here? Where are we going?

Piper frowned, noticing the way Jason's hand tightened around Riss' for a moment, "Jason, are you joking?"

"No! I have no idea—"

"Aw," Leo cooed, "yeah, he's joking. He's trying to get me back for that shaving cream and Jell-O thing, aren't you?"

Jason stared blankly back at him and Riss scolded, "Leo!"

"No, I think he's serious," Piper said as she reached forward to try and take Jason's hand, only for him to pull away, closer to Riss, who wrapped an arm around his waist.

"I'm sorry," Jason apologized, pressing closer to the black-haired girl beside him, who tried to soothe him. "I don't – I can't –" The McLean girl tried to keep the sad look off her face as Jason seemed comfortable with where he was and held onto Riss.

Riss was almost sure that someone had been messing with the Mist and had tried to pull it over their minds, but somehow, Riss was shaking off the affects, the fog clearing from her mind slowly. She remembered in snippets, hanging out with Jason, Piper and Leo. She knew Jason and Piper were a couple, but as she thought about the times she had spent with them, memories started to slip away. She _knew_ why she was here – to find Percy – but Riss also had to protect these demigods, because something wasn't right at all.

"That's it!" Coach Hedge yelled, getting tired of the talking, "The back row just volunteered to clean up after lunch!"

Riss ignored the cheering of the class as Leo muttered, "There's a shocker," and instead looked down at her necklace. It was a simple silver chain with three silver charms on it, a shield, a sword and a bow and arrow. They turned into real, silver and Celestial Bronze weapons if Riss summoned the bow and arrow or spoke the true name of her sword. She had a feeling that she might need them.

Piper continued to stare at Jason, hurt and worry clashing on her face, "Did you hit your head or something? You really don't know who we are?"

The blonde shrugged, unconsciously pulling Riss closer, "It's worse than that. I don't know who _I_ am."

 **XXXXX**

Riss pulled her black leather jacket tighter around herself and wished she had worn more than a simple leather jacket and a dark blue sweater. The wind was cold and almost… _alive_ , if her demigod instincts had anything to say about it. The wind blew more forcefully and instead of dwelling on the chill, the Jackson girl turned her attention to the trio behind her.

"So, a crash course for the amnesiac." Riss thought that Leo was getting too much of a kick out of this. "We go to the 'Wilderness School.' Which means we're 'bad kids.' Your family, or the court, or whoever, decided you were too much trouble, so they shipped you off to this lovely prison – sorry, 'boarding school' – in Armpit, Nevada, where you learn valuable nature skills like running ten miles a day through the cacti and weaving daisies into hats! And for a special treat we go on 'educational' field trips with Coach Hedge, who keeps order with a baseball bat. Is it coming back to you now?"

"No," Jason replied honestly and Riss shook her head. That talk had not been helpful and had been punctuated with an _extreme_ amount of air quotes and sarcasm. Jason took the time to look around at the other students, but his attention kept migrating to the shivering, green-eyed girl in front of him.

Leo rolled his eyes, still not believing Jason, "You're really gonna play this out, huh? Okay, so the four of us started here together this semester. We're totally tight. You do everything Nerissa says and you give me your dessert and do my chores—"

Both girls cut the Latino boy off, "Leo!"

"Fine," Leo grumbled, "Ignore the last part. But we _are_ friends. Well, Piper's a little more than your friend, the last few weeks—"

"Leo, stop it!" Piper cut the boy off again, her face now bright red. Jason didn't know how he could forget having Piper as a girlfriend or why he felt so strongly about Nerissa after just meeting her, especially if _Piper_ was his girlfriend. He looked to Riss to see her reaction, but the girl merely frowned slightly, still looking away at another group of students.

"He's got amnesia or something," Piper told Leo. "We've got to tell somebody."

"Who, Coach Hedge?" Leo scoffed, "He'd try to fix Jason by whacking him upside the head."

Riss smirked, "Somehow, I think that actually may do Jason more help, than harm. At least he could get close enough to throw that bat into the canyon, anyway."

Piper giggled, Riss had a talent for lightening the mood, even in bad situations, and the group of four all looked at the coach. He was barking orders and blowing his whistle at kids but he continually looked up to scowl at Jason and glance at Riss in worry.

"Leo, Nerissa. Jason needs help," Piper insisted, looking between her friends, "He's got a concussion or—"

"Yo, Piper," a boy called walking over to the group and wedged himself between Jason and Piper, knocking Leo over in the process.

Riss fake-gagged and muttered, "Bailing," before she hurried off to the front of the group. Dylan, the boy, looked like he was trying to be Superman and thought that he was God's gift to all women. The girl was adamant there was something wrong with Dylan and the magic-infused ring on her finger would only keep her 'Child of the Big Three' smell hidden from monsters for so long. Monster or not, Dylan reminded Riss way too much of Apollo – the blinding smile, the 'I'm-so-hot' attitude and her desire to punch him in the face.

Turning and walking backwards, Riss shot a 'forgive me' look back at Piper, who mimed slitting her throat and Riss shrugged guiltily before she started to look for her own partner in the small crowd of students.

 **XXXXX**

Isabel, the resident mean girl, who probably got into the Wilderness School because she stole makeup or bashed up a friend who told her outfit looked bad, was insulting Piper and Riss watched closely. Piper was a bit of a time bomb, and with Isabel, it was only a matter of time before she tried to kick her ass.

A few moments later, Piper charged at Isabel and her flunkies, only to be intercepted by Riss. "Hey, cool it. They aren't worth bruising your fists over."

Piper calmed down, nodding at Riss in thanks as Coach Hedge yelled, "Enough back there! Set a good example or I'll break out my baseball bat!"

They continued walking to the next exhibit and Riss glared daggers at the girls, who were still making comments about Piper. Her ethnicity made her a target and although they wanted to, Riss was never teased because she kicked ass and never gave them enough ammunition to use against her. Riss was basically a nobody and the only thing Isabel knew about her was that she drove a limo off a pier and smashed a few bottles of bubbly.

"Good to be back on the rez?"

"Dad's probably too drunk to work. That's why she turned klepto."

"Oh my gods," Riss muttered and Piper couldn't help but wonder about why she always said 'God' as a plural. "If they don't shut up, I'm going to be going to a _real_ prison – for _murder_."

Piper snickered and looped her arm with Riss'. She often thought, that if Riss wasn't there, she would have gone insane a while ago. The group finally reached the end of the exhibit hall, where big doors lead to the terrace.

"All right, cupcakes," Coach Hedge announced and Riss' eyes widened. She hated heights. "You are about to see the Grand Canyon. Try not to break it. The featherweights should be safe out there. If possible, try to avoid pushing each other over the edge as that would cause me extra paperwork."

"I think he just gave me an idea," Riss whispered to Piper, smiling evilly at Isabel and her group. Piper grinned and tugged Riss out through the doors.

The Grand Canyon was amazing, much better than the photos, but Riss couldn't help but let out a staggered breath. She remembered the first time she'd been up high anywhere – she seemed to always be able to avoid it any other time – an encounter that led to her and her brother jumping into the Hudson River, after they had met a monster named after an Australian animal.

Zeus' multiple issues with the Jackson twins led to Nerissa's fear of heights and being blown off a platform over the Grand Canyon by her godly uncle was not on her list of things to do before her death.

The sky suddenly gave a rumble and cold wind tore at Riss' jacket. "Oh, Zeus…" the girl muttered shakily, seeing a sweaty, shaky and pale Jason. The storm was right above them, while everywhere else seemed clear and blue. Riss gripped her necklace.

"All right, cupcakes," Coach Hedge yelled, "We have to cut this short, so get to work! Remember, complete sentences!"

 **XXXXX**

Riss was finished with her worksheet before she knew it. Both Percy and Riss had dyslexia, but somehow Riss didn't have too much trouble with it, compared to Percy. Nerissa had an excellent memory and was just about able to copy things she'd read word for word, and when stuck, would just remember the sentence she'd seen before and copy it down. The Jackson girl's first real memory of grade school was allowing Percy to cheat off her English test.

Her black hair flew out behind her as she stopped in front of Hedge, "Something really bad is coming. Be prepared."

Hedge was about to respond but Jason walked over, and the coach instead asked him, "Did you do this?"

Jason glanced at Riss, who looked back seriously at him, before she walked off. The girl stood close enough to Piper to keep a close eye on Dylan. Her fingers hadn't stopped fiddling with the necklace charms since the storm had appeared. Lightning suddenly cracked above the group, the wind becoming more powerful and Riss swore in Latin. The entire bridge began to shudder and kids began to scream and stumble to the railings.

"Everyone inside!" Hedge bellowed, "The cow says moo! Off the skywalk!"

Riss' eyes widened, gripping the shaking railing to stop her from falling off the skywalk, "Oh, for Poseidon's sake! Seriously!?"

 **XXXXX**

Dylan and Piper were holding the doors open as well as they could, ushering kids into the building. The wind was ferocious and Riss saw Leo almost tumble over the railing, but thankfully Jason grabbed his jacket, pulling him back up.

Riss tried not to move but was having to fight against the strong wind.

" _Hoc effercio stercore_!" The Jackson girl snapped out 'Stuff this shit,' in Latin, having the tendency to swear in the language instead of Ancient Greek, and reached for the water below them to give her strength.

Piper and Dylan's grip on the door faltered and the doors slammed shut. Piper tugged on the doors, shouting for Dylan's help, but the boy grinned, told her he was done helping and threw her against the doors.

"Piper!" Jason and Riss yelled in unison, starting forward. The wind held them back and Hedge grabbed Jason, "Coach, let me go!"

"Jason, Leo, stay behind us," Hedge ordered.

"Don't you mean behind _me_?" Riss corrected but Coach Hedge waved her off, continuing, "This is our fight. I should've known that was our monster."

"What? What monster?"

The coach's hat flew off, revealing his horns and his bat changed to his cudgel. Dylan smiled – a psychotic smile – "Oh, come on, _Coach._ Let the boy attack me! After all, you're getting too old for this. Isn't that why they _retired_ you to this stupid school? I've been on your team the entire season, and you didn't even know. You're losing your nose, grandpa."

Hedge bleated, "That's it, cupcake. You're going down."

"You think you can protect three half-bloods and a human at once, old man?" Dylan laughed loudly and Riss raised a brow. "Good luck."

Riss grinned, "I don't think you can count properly, you stupid _anemoi thuellai_!"

Dylan heard her words and turned, "Ooh, we have another little demigod, do we? Obviously a minor one, I can't sense you all that well."

"Not a 'minor one,' darling," Riss smirked, pulling off her Mist-manipulating ring. "I'm a daughter of Poseidon."

The storm spirit paled significantly. There was only one daughter of Poseidon known. Nerissa Jackson…she was powerful and dangerous. It was rumored that the girl and her twin turned down immortality and weren't destroyed by the gods, instead they got something else in return, per their request. Seeing the shock on Dylan's face, Riss was extremely glad she got one of the daughters of Hecate to make the ring for her.

He gulped, "No matter." Dylan pointed at Leo and a funnel cloud materialized around him. The boy managed to turn in midair, seconds away from being thrown into the canyon, and instead slammed into the wall.

Leo hung on a thin ledge, calling out, "Help! Rope, please? Bungee cord? Something?"

Hedge cursed and gave Jason his club, "I don't know who you are, kid, but I hope you're good. Keep that _thing_ busy while I get Leo. Help Nerissa."

Riss didn't bother listening to the rest and charged forward. " _Nauticus_!" She cried, touching the sword charm on her necklace and slashing at Dylan with the sword that had appeared in her hand quickly. The storm spirit hissed as the Celestial Bronze blade caught his shoulder.

" _Satyr_!" Riss heard Hedge snap, "Fauns are Roman. But we'll talk about that later."

Fauns, Jason had said Fauns. Riss' eyes widened, she could sense the godly parent of all the demigods she came in contact with, but with Jason, she hit a roadblock. "Roman…he sounds Roman," Riss mused aloud, dodging a funnel cloud and slashing at Dylan again. Riss paused in her movements, a frown of confusion on her face, "How can he be _Roman_!?"

The lapse in concentration was enough for Dylan to send Riss flying back against the doors with Piper. Jason ran for Riss, who groaned, but was stopped by Dylan.

"Isn't that cute! Now, it's your turn, boy."

Jason threw the club, the club moving through the air to curve and hit Dylan in the forehead. The club rolled right to Piper, who picked it up, but continued to stare at Riss. Nerissa just used a _sword_. Nerissa wasn't who she said she was. Riss sat up, leaning against the doors in pain.

Golden blood – _ichor_ – trickled from Dylan's wound and he glared at Jason, "Nice try, boy. But you'll have to do better."

The skywalk shuddered, cracks appearing in the glass of the door and Riss winced as it cut into her back. Dylan's body became black vapor, his face the same, and he sprouted vapor wings.

"You're a _ventus_ ," Jason noticed, "A storm spirit."

Dylan laughed, "I'm glad I waited, demigod. Leo and Piper I've known about for weeks. Could've killed them at any time. But my mistress said a third was coming – someone special – who could make the fourth reveal themselves. She'll reward me greatly for your deaths!"

Two more funnel clouds landed on either side of Dylan and Riss swore in Latin. Piper had a strong grip on the club and Riss slid her fingers over her necklace charm, a bow and arrows materialized in her hands.

Dylan suddenly blasted Jason with lightning. Riss gasped as the storm spirits laughed and Piper screamed. Riss stood as she saw Jason struggle to get up and something deep in the back of her head, sighed, _Jupiter_ , though the girl completely ignored it. The wind was raging and Riss couldn't hear what Jason and Dylan said, but she saw the blonde boy pull out a gold coin and flip it. When the coin landed, it wasn't a coin any longer, and was instead a gold, double-edged sword.

"Well, kill him!" Dylan yelled, backing away from Jason and only one storm spirits flew forward, the other already beaten by Riss' hand – destroyed with a Celestial Bronze tipped arrow to the back. Jason's sword absorbed a bolt of lightning thrown at him and he quickly stabbed the last _venti_ , making it dissolve into gold powder.

"Impossible! Who _are_ you, half-blood?" Dylan wailed as his comrades dispersed in the wind.

Piper dropped the club, "Jason, how…?"

Coach Hedge jumped back onto the skywalk, dropping Leo roughly, "Spirits, fear me!" When he saw only Dylan left, he snapped at Jason, "Curse it, boy. Didn't you leave some for me? I like a challenge!"

Riss closed her eyes, concentrating and blocking out all sound. Water from the clouds started to gather around her, forming into shards of water – pointed and lethal. Dylan hissed, eyes full of fear and the other demigods turned to stare at what he was terrified of. The water shards were all leveled at Dylan, floating around Riss' body. "You have no idea how many enemies you've awakened, half-bloods. My mistress will destroy _all_ demigods. This war you _cannot_ win."

"Try it!" Riss shouted, "We bet the Titans, Kronos is _gone_ ; we _will_ defeat anything else coming our way."

Dylan hissed again and the storm overhead exploded into a gale, cracking the skywalk further. Rain poured down harshly and a hole appeared in the clouds, one which Dylan seemed to recognize, "The mistress calls me back! And you, demigod, will come with me!"

He lunged at Jason, but Piper tackled him. The storm spirit let out a torrent, forcing them all backwards. Jason and Coach Hedge fell over and Leo hit the back of his head. Piper, however, went flying over the railing, barely holding on to the railing with one hand.

"I'll settle for this one!" Riss heard Dylan scream.

"Help! Somebody!" The green-eyed girl lunged forward, just catching Piper's arm. Riss' torso was almost completely over the railing, the metal digging painfully into her hips as she held Piper up.

The girl grimaced as her shoulder screamed in pain. She could let go, and Piper would fall. She could use the water around her to pull Piper up, but then she herself would fall. Riss smiled, startling Piper. It wasn't a choice. Piper screamed as she lost her grip on Riss' arm and started to fall. The water shot forward to catch Piper at the same time that Riss leant out further to grab her again and to throw her up. Piper fell back over the railing, encased in the water, only to see Riss lose her hold on the railing and tumble into the abyss.

Piper let out a loud cry of, "NO! Nerissa!"

The water that was around the demigod fell, sloshing to the ground and Piper ran to the railing, hoping to see Riss alive and well, just holding on. Riss wasn't there.

Hedge seemed to notice, frantically yelling, "Jason, go! Save her!" Hedge ran and started to fight Dylan, yelling once more, "Save her! I got this!"

Piper screamed loudly again as Jason ran to the railing and jumped over the side.

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **I'm just saying something straight off the bat:** **I love this idea and Nerissa Jackson is by far one of my favorite characters.**

 **Another thing:** **Nerissa 'Riss' Jackson is NOT designed to be** _ **a) a one-dimensional love interest**_ **,** ** _b) the hero who always solves the problems_ ****or _c) the damsel in distress who needs a man to save her._**

 **Riss is designed to be a sarcastic piece of shit who kicks ass and tells people where to shove it. And happens to have a strong connection with the main, male character. But in no way, will Riss need Jason to fight her battles.**

 **So, tell me what you think and please, follow and favorite!**

 **~ Raven**


	3. GAMMA

_**GAMMA | EVERYTHING GOES UP IN FLAMES...LITERALLY**_

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the** ** _Heroes of Olympus_** **series or any of the characters. I only own the character Nerissa Jackson and her original plot lines and dialogue.**

* * *

Riss was unconscious as she fell down the canyon, the exertion on her body and powers taking their toll on her. Her mind was completely blank and before she blacked out, Riss remembered the familiar feeling of falling to her doom – much like how Riss and Percy had fallen a great height after their fight with Echidna, the mother of all monsters.

Nerissa was exceptionally powerful compared to other demigods – a child of the Big Three thing – even slightly more powerful than Percy (she had more control than Percy did) but her twin's distance from her drained her. Still, the water reached for her, ready to catch her if Jason couldn't. Jason caught up to her quickly as they both fell. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her close to his chest.

The wind suddenly died and Riss groaned in pain, beginning to wake. The green-eyed girl gasped, looking down and Jason peeled his eyes open at her gasp, "J-Jason…look…"

The two were floating in midair, a hundred feet above the river and Riss could feel the water restoring her. Jason pulled Riss tighter, who was struggling to breathe properly. Green eyes met blue and Jason noticed at they were glowing faintly.

"How did you—"

"I didn't," Jason told Riss, "I think I would know if I could fly…"

The girl sighed, "Jason, the ocean – any water really – is my element. Look." Water began to rise up from the river in a long tendril and wrapped around Riss' wrist, healing a cut there that she got from the fight. The water fell back and Riss' eyes were really glowing now as she placed her hands on Jason's shoulders, utilizing the gift given to her by the gods, words, Latin this time, spilling past her lips, " _The sky is yours,_ _son of Jupiter_."

 _Son of Jupiter_ felt right to Jason and he sighed, wishing he knew who he was. Nerissa shook her head, coming out of the trance her powers brought her, not remembering what she said. The boy imagined them going up, and Riss suppressed a shrill squeak. The sky was _not_ her element and she was absolutely terrified of being anywhere in Zeus' domain. The adrenaline was wearing off now and she was remembering that fact.

"The air is supporting us," Jason concluded, noticing that they were more balancing on air than floating.

Riss' fists were clenched in Jason's purple shirt in fear, something else that Jason noticed. They were almost nose to nose and Riss' breathing had gotten heavier and her heart was beating faster, "Pl-please just get us out of here. Tell the air to support us more."

The pair glanced up. The storm clouds had cleared up slightly, not as rumbly or flashy, and Riss' eyes widened, "The demigods. Oh, gods, Piper and Leo! What if Dylan took them? We have to help them. Can you—"

Riss trailed off and Jason said, "Let's see," before both of them were shooting up into the air. They dropped onto the skywalk and ran to Piper, who had Leo's head in her lap.

"Stupid…ugly…goat," Leo muttered and Riss summoned water to her to heal Leo's bruised head, a trick she had learnt from Percy when they were twelve.

Leo, in his bleary state, Jason and Piper all stared at how the water obeyed Riss and swirled around her like it was welcoming an old friend. But that wasn't the oddest thing they'd seen that day, so they didn't question it.

"Where did he go?" Riss asked desperately.

Piper pointed upwards as Leo stated, "Never came down. Please tell me he didn't actually save my life."

"Twice," Jason told him and Leo groaned. "What happened? The tornado guy, the gold sword…I hit my head. That's it, right? I'm hallucinating?"

"I wish it was that simple. Now that you know about this world, you can never go back. I learnt that it's best to just roll with it," Riss told Leo and Piper kindly, knowing how difficult it was to be through into the world, especially older than thirteen, as Jason took his sword and flipped it, making it become a coin again.

"Yep. Definitely hallucinating."

Piper shivered, "Jason, Nerissa, those things—"

" _Venti_ , storm spirits," Jason answered just as Riss replied, " _Anemoi thuellai_ , storm spirits." The two exchanged a look.

"Okay…" Piper muttered, even more confused. "You acted like…like you'd seen them before. Who _are_ you two?"

Jason shook his head, "That's what I've been trying to tell you. I don't know."

Placing a hand on Jason's shoulder, Riss answered, "My name is Nerissa Jackson, daughter of Poseidon. I'm a demigod. I was supposed to protect you."

The storm dissipated and Riss sighed in relief, hoping that it would be smooth sailing to camp from there.

"Coach Hedge said he had to protect three people," Jason remembered, "I think he meant us."

"And that thing Dylan turned into…God, I can't believe it was _hitting_ on me. He called us… _demigods?_ "

Leo lay down, "Don't know what _demi_ means, but I'm not feeling too godly. You guys feeling godly?"

The three looked to Riss who shuffled awkwardly. A cracking noise sounded out and the cracks in the skywalk widened, "Okay, I will explain everything. I promise. Just not now…and probably not here…"

"Ohhh-kay," Leo interrupted, "Look up there and tell me those are flying horses."

Riss grinned and laughed, clapping her hands once. "Oh! I love it when they come through!" To gain their attention, the green-eyed girl let out a sharp whistle. The chariot turned, heading towards them quickly.

"Reinforcements," Jason said, "Hedge told me an extraction squad was coming for us."

"Extraction squad? That sounds painful."

"And where are they extracting us _to_?"

"The only place that's safe for demigods to live in peace," Riss walked off, going to retrieve her sword, bow and arrows.

Annabeth jumped out of the chariot, pulling a knife and Riss' shoulders slumped. She was going to be so disappointed. "Where is he?" The daughter of Athena demanded, not even bothering with an introduction.

"Where's who?" Jason asked, startled.

"What about Gleeson? Where is your protector, Gleeson Hedge? And what about Riss?"

Leo cleared his throat, "He got taken by some…tornado things."

" _Venti_ ," Jason told her, "Storm spirits."

Annabeth arched her brow, "You mean _anemoi thuellai_? That's the Greek term. Who are you and what – _Riss_!?"

The blonde girl cut herself off at the sight of her boyfriend's twin, who already had tears welling in her eyes. Annabeth's expression crumbled, knowing why Riss felt so much pain at the moment.

"Annie. Gods, I missed you." The dark-haired girl finally let out a sob, she'd been fighting tears the minute she woke up on the bus, trying desperately not to cry. "He's not here. I just want him back…I _need_ him back. I feel like I've lost a part of myself."

The two hugged tightly, standing close beside each other as Jason told Annabeth what happened. When Jason finished, Annabeth was angry, "No, no, no! She _told_ me he would be here. She told me if I came here, I'd find the answer."

Riss sneered around her tears, "They're just messing with us now. It's cruel. But what'd you expect from _Hera_? Yeah," Riss taunted as the sky gave a rumble, "Want to come down here and tell me that yourself? Oh, that's right – Olympus is _closed_!"

"Annabeth, Nerissa," Butch grunted, pointing at Jason's foot. The blonde's shoe had been blown off from the strike of lightning that had hit him and now he was wandering around without both his shoes on. "Check it out. The guy with one shoe. He's the answer."

"No, Butch," Riss snarled, running her hands roughly through her knotted hair. Tears were slowly tracking down her cheeks, but she ignored them, allowing her anger to control her instead of her sadness. "He's just more _questions_! I want straight answers, is it that hard!?"

"I was tricked. _We_ were tricked." Annabeth tilted her head up and screamed at the sky, "What do you want from us! What have you done with him?"

Riss tilted her own head up, not caring if she looked insane, "And you don't even answer us! We're connected and you tore him away!"

Jason, Piper and Leo could hear the water at the bottom of the canyon become more forceful, crashing against the canyon, and they knew it was Riss. The skywalk shuddered at that moment and Butch turned to the senior members of Camp Half-Blood. "Annabeth, Riss, we gotta leave. Let's get these three to camp and figure it out there. Those storm spirits might come back."

Riss stalked off without a word and Annabeth fumed, "Fine." She glared at Jason, "We'll settle this later." She walked off, following after Nerissa who was crying now, salty tears streaming down her cheeks.

"What's _her_ problem? What's going on?" Piper asked and Leo agreed, "Seriously."

"We have to get you out of here," Butch said, "I'll explain on the way."

Jason gestured to Annabeth who was hugging a sobbing Riss. Jason desperately wanted to go and ask Riss if she was okay but her was afraid Annabeth would stab him if he got anywhere close to either of the girls. "I'm not going anywhere with _her._ She looks like she wants to kill me."

Butch hesitated, sadly looking back at Riss who had her arms wrapped tightly around her best friend's waist, "Annabeth's okay. And Riss is just heartbroken at the moment. You have to cut them some slack. Annabeth had a vision telling her to come her, to find a guy with one shoe. That was supposed to be the answer to their problem."

"What problem?"

"They've both been looking for one of our campers, who's been missing three days," Butch explained to the trio, "They're going out of their minds with worry. Annabeth hoped he'd be here. Riss _needed_ him to be here."

"Who?" Jason asked, hoping that the slight jealousy he felt at Riss _needing_ to find some guy didn't show. He'd just met her, Jason found it strange how comfortable and clingy he already felt around Riss.

The four looked back at the two girls. Riss was drying her tears and had placed her weapons back as charms on her necklace. Reaching out a hand to a puddle of water, the girl concentrated. After a moment, obviously not happy with the outcome, Riss punched the side of the chariot before moving to speak to Blackjack, her brother's pegasus. Annabeth had brought him on purpose, just in case if Percy wasn't there, to help Riss cope with another day without her twin.

"Annabeth's boyfriend and Nerissa's twin brother," Butch told them, sighing sadly as Nerissa buried her neck into Blackjack's neck. "A guy named Percy Jackson."

 **XXXXX**

Butch handled the reins at the front of the chariot, Annabeth beside him, and the newly-found demigods at the back of the chariot. Riss was riding Blackjack beside the chariot, the two other pegasi connected to the chariot. Nerissa missed riding behind Percy on Blackjack in the many trips they flew around Long Island. She missed Blackjack and Percy's arguments and the pegasus' constant title for Percy: 'boss.' While Percy had a closer connection to horses and healing, Riss had a closer connection to the ocean, usually through her emotions.

"Do you want to stop for doughnuts?" Riss asked quietly, knowing his obsession, leaning forward to whisper into Blackjack's ear.

" _Nah, Nymph Girl, just doesn't feel right without the boss_ ," Blackjack nickered and Nerissa smiled lightly at the nickname she had held with the pegasus for years. 'Nerissa' meant 'sea nymph' in Ancient Greek and Blackjack really liked the dark-haired daughter of the sea god who fed his doughnut obsession and always smelt of the ocean.

"This is so cool!" Leo yelled, spitting one of Blackjack's feathers out of his mouth, "Where are we going?"

"A safe place," Annabeth told him. "The _only_ safe place for kids like us. Camp Half-Blood."

"Half-Blood? Is that some kind of bad joke?" Piper was immediately defensive and Riss knew why. If you were constantly teased about being racially diverse, then you'd hate the term 'half-blood' too. That was something that Nerissa loved about Camp Half-Blood – they were all the same and not judged on race.

"She means we're demigods," Jason supplied. "Half god, half mortal."

Annabeth looked back at Jason, and Riss flew Blackjack over closer to the chariot to listen, "You seem to know a lot, Jason. But, yes, demigods. My mom is Athena, goddess of wisdom. Nerissa's dad is Poseidon, god of the sea. Butch here is the son of Iris, the rainbow goddess."

Leo choked, "Your mom is a rainbow goddess?"

Riss glared at the curly-haired boy and Butch asked, "Got a problem with that?"

"No, no," Leo defended his words. "Rainbows. Very macho."

"Butch is our best equestrian," Annabeth explained while Nerissa tried very hard not to slap the Valdez boy upside the head. "He gets along great with the pegasi."

"I feel insulted by that, Annie. I thought I was the best equestrian?" Riss teased and moved to fist-bump Butch. "But, you know, Butch and I can share that title."

"Rainbows, ponies," Leo muttered.

"I'm gonna toss you off this chariot," Butch warned the younger boy and Riss stifled a laugh at Leo's frightened look.

Piper frowned slightly, "Demigods. You mean you think you're…you think we're—"

Lightning flashed suddenly and the chariot shuddered. Riss swore in Latin as Jason yelled, "Left wheel's on fire!"

Dark shapes formed in the clouds and Nerissa threw up a hand, sending water into the air to soak the wheel. The fire went out but the wheel fell off, plummeting down.

"What are they—" Piper started to say but Annabeth cut her off, " _Anemoi_ come into different shapes. Sometimes human, sometimes stallions, depending on how chaotic they are."

"Hold on! This is going to get rough!" Riss shouted, as Butch flicked the reins and she instructed the pegasi to go faster. Nerissa felt the familiar tug in her stomach as the ocean stretched out to their left. The other wheel fell off the chariot and the chariot began to drop out of the sky.

"The lake!" Annabeth yelled as the pegasi labored, "Aim for the lake!"

"I'm going to regret this," Riss muttered before she threw herself off Blackjack and into the lake. As she fell, Riss heard the screams of panic coming from the chariot above her and spinning in mid-air, manipulated the water to reach up and gently swallow the chariot that hit the water at break-neck speed. Her powers lessened the pain that the other demigods would have felt from hitting the water at such a height and speed and summoned the naiads to help them out.

Piper, Leo, Jason, Annabeth and Butch were tossed onto shore by the fresh-water nymphs and they got up, spluttering and soaked to the bone, looking for Riss.

"Riss? Riss!" Annabeth cried, worried for her best friend, who had yet to surface. The green-eyed girl was in her element, how was she not on the shore yet? Annabeth had noticed, even when Riss denied it, that she had become weaker.

Finally, Nerissa was carried over by three naiads and was placed gently on the shore. She looked pale and drawn. Ever since Percy had disappeared, Riss had gotten weaker with her powers and had taken to calling it a 'twin-thing,' needing her brother to be at her strongest.

The three newly-found demigods watched in worry, as they had their clothes dried by large bronze inventions, as their friend remained unresponsive on the shore. Annabeth hurried over to her best friend, shaking her gently. Nerissa's clothes were dry but she was pale and barely breathing. Her eyes flickered open as she rolled over, only to be hauled up by Annabeth into a tight hug.

"Oh, I'm rusty," Riss griped, rolling her shoulders and rubbing the back of her neck as Will Solace ran at them. Nerissa quite liked Will – he was kind and gentle and had a talent for both healing and battle.

"Annabeth!" Will pushed his way through the crowd, "I said you could _borrow_ the chariot, not destroy it!"

"Will, I'm sorry," Annabeth apologized, sighing, "I'll get it fixed, I promise."

The Solace boy scowled at his broken chariot before he sized up Piper, Leo and Jason. He stepped forward to hug Riss quickly, before he returned to sizing up the trio. "These are the one? Way older than thirteen. Why haven't they been claimed already?"

"Claimed?" Leo asked as Nerissa nodded sadly.

Before Riss or Annabeth could explain, Will asked, "Any sign of Percy?"

"No." Annabeth admitted as Nerissa stated it flatly at the same time, causing the campers to mutter. Drew walked forward, one of Aphrodite's daughters – who reminded Riss of Isabel quite strongly – and stared at Piper, Leo and Jason. Nerissa raised a brow as Drew barely glanced at Leo, curled her lip at Piper and fixed her eyes on Jason.

"Well, I hope they're worth the trouble."

Nerissa linked her arms with Jason and Piper, "Oh, shove a sock in it, Drew."

Drew looked mildly offended before she flipped her hair at the green-eyed girl. Drew had no sense of respect but she had to admit, she was scared of the daughter of Poseidon.

"Gee, thanks," Leo piped up. "What are we, your new pets?"

"No kidding," Jason added. "How about some answers before you start judging us – like, what is this place, why are we here, how long do we have to stay?"

"Jason," Annabeth said, "I promise we'll answer your questions. And Drew—" the blonde girl frowned at Drew "—all demigods are worth saving. But I'll admit, the trip didn't accomplish what we hoped."

"Hey," Piper interrupted, "we didn't ask to be brought here."

Drew sniffed at the beautiful and feisty brunette girl, "And nobody _wants_ you, hon. Does your hair always look like a dead badger?"

Riss' lip curled away from her teeth and she pushed her friend behind her, who she was sure was going to smack Drew. "Piper, stop. Drew, there is a lake _right there_ itching to bring down your _whole_ hair situation."

The Asian daughter of Aphrodite touched her hair protectively, feeling threatened by the girl who could manipulate water. Piper looked slightly uneasily between Annabeth and Nerissa, who both looked angered. They were terrifying.

"We need to make our new arrivals feel welcome," Annabeth told them, giving Drew a pointed look. "We'll assign them each a guide, give them a tour of camp. Hopefully by the campfire tonight, they'll be claimed."

"Would somebody tell me what _claimed_ means?" Piper asked, exasperated, but there was a sudden collective gasp.

The campers stepped back and above Leo's head sat a flaming hammer hologram. "That is claiming," Annabeth supplied as Riss suddenly stiffened, her green eyes glowing brightly.

" _Hail, Leo Valdez, son of Hephaestus,_ " Nerissa stated, her voice echoing gracefully around the group before she stumbled out of the trance – falling into Jason's arms, who held her tightly to him.

"What'd I do? Is my hair on fire?"

"That can't be good," Butch muttered as he watched Leo try to weave away from the symbol, "The curse—"

"Butch, shut up," Annabeth and Nerissa said in unison, before Annabeth continued, "Leo, you've just been claimed—"

"By a god," Jason interrupted, his arms tightening around Nerissa. "That's the symbol of Vulcan, isn't it?"

Everyone turned to look at the boy.

"Jason," Annabeth said slowly, "how did you know that?"

"I'm not sure."

"Vulcan," Leo demanded, having temporarily paused in his swatting at the sign, "I don't even LIKE _Star Trek_. What are you talking about?"

Nerissa looked at Jason closely as Annabeth explained, "Vulcan is the Roman name for Hephaestus, the god of blacksmiths and fire."

The fiery hammer faded, but Leo kept swatting at the air, "The god of _what_? Who?"

Annabeth turned to look at Will, "Will, would you take Leo, give him a tour? Introduce him to his bunkmates in Cabin Nine."

"Sure, Annabeth."

"What's Cabin Nine?" Leo asked. "And I'm not a Vulcan!"

"Come on, Mr Spock, I'll explain everything," Will steered Leo off in the direction of the cabins and Nerissa tossed her head back onto Jason's shoulder, her head pounding.

Annabeth analysed Jason and Nerissa. She knew that Riss had been at the Wilderness School for a semester, but with the possibility that the entire relationship that Riss had with Jason, Piper and Leo was a creation of the Mist, Annabeth didn't understand why Jason and Riss seemed to have such a bond.

Finally, Annabeth said, "Hold out your arm."

Jason unraveled his right arm from around Riss' waist, only to twine his left arm back around her, and held it out. Piper's eyes widened. On his right forearm, previously hidden by his jacket, was a stark, black tattoo against his pale skin. It was a dozen straight lines, an eagle and the letters 'SPQR.'

"I've never seen marks like this. Where did you get them?" Annabeth asked and Jason shook his head.

"I'm getting tired of saying this, but I don't know." The other campers pushed forward to see the tattoo.

Nerissa lightly ran her fingers over the lines, they weren't raised in any way and they seemed – "They look burned into your skin," Annabeth noticed.

"They were," Jason said and immediately winced as if his head ached. "I mean…I think so." The blonde boy tightened his grip around Riss, feeling completely safe around her. "I don't remember."

Riss met eyes with Annabeth. The Chase girl and the Jackson twins had been seen as leaders of the camp ever since the Titan war and their victory against Kronos, and the campers quietly awaited the two girls' verdict.

"He needs to go straight to Chiron," Nerissa finally decided.

Annabeth nodded, agreeing, "Drew, would you—"

"Absolutely," Drew cut the girl off and laced her arm with Jason's, practically ripping him away from Riss. "This way, sweetie. I'll introduce you to our director. He's…an _interesting_ guy." Drew flashed Piper a smug smile, heading to the Big House, while Jason gave Nerissa a 'save me' look.

The crowd dispersed, leaving Annabeth, Piper and Riss standing alone. "Who's Chiron?" Piper asked, "Is Jason in some kind of trouble?"

Riss didn't tear her eyes away from Jason's retreating figure and Annabeth hesitated, "Good question, Piper."

"We'll give you a tour. We need to talk." Riss added, and even though Annabeth protested that Riss should go to the medics, the green-eyed girl hooked Piper's arm with hers and almost dragged the brunette off.

 **XXXXX**

Annabeth and Nerissa didn't really care about the tour. Riss wanted to help Piper understand what world she'd been thrown in, but Percy's disappearance was beginning to drag on both hers and her blonde best friend's energy.

"The valley is protected from mortal eyes," Annabeth explained. "As you can see, the weather is controlled, too. Each cabin represents a Greek god – a place for that god's children to live."

"You're saying Mom was a goddess."

Annabeth nodded, "You're taking this awfully calmly."

Piper took a shaky breath and Riss placed a hand on her shoulder, "I guess after this morning, it's a little easier to believe. So who's my mom?"

"We should know soon," Riss told her friend, "You're what – fifteen? Gods are supposed to claim you when you're thirteen. That was the deal."

"The deal?"

"They made a promise last summer," Annabeth explained, "…well, long story…but they promised not to ignore their demigod children anymore, to claim them by the time they turn thirteen. Sometimes it takes a little longer, but you saw how fast Leo as claimed once he got here. Should happen for you soon. Tonight at the campfire, I bet we'll get a sign."

Nerissa scowled, "Why is it, that now that Percy's gone, every deal is going to Tartarus?" The sky rumbled again and Nerissa rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know." Everything she'd been saying lately was making the sky grumble.

"Why thirteen?" Piper asked as Annabeth smiled slightly at Riss.

"The older you get," Annabeth said, "the more monsters notice you, try to kill you. 'Round thirteen is usually when it starts. That's why we send protectors into the schools it find you guys, get you to camp before it's too late."

"Like Coach Hedge?"

"He's – he was a satyr: half man, half goat. Satyrs work for the camp, finding demigods, protecting them, bringing them in when the time is right," Annabeth explained.

Riss nodded slowly, "I work closely with satyrs, but Gleeson Hedge…he was always one of the more eccentric ones. And when I say eccentric, I mean he always yelled 'die!' and chased people around with his club."

"What happened to him?" Piper asked. "When we went up into the clouds, did he…is he gone for good?"

"Hard to say." Annabeth's face held an expression of pain and Nerissa refused to look up from the grass she was scuffing. "Storm spirits…difficult to battle. Even our best weapons, Celestial bronze, will pass right through them unless you can catch them by surprise."

"Jason's sword just turned them to dust."

Nerissa remembered, biting her bottom lip. "He was lucky. If you hit a monster just right, you can dissolve them, which sends their essence back to Tartarus. But I have a theory about that sword of his."

"Tartarus."

Annabeth and Riss had a silent competition, weighing up which one of them had to explain Tartarus. Annabeth lost, finally looking away from Nerissa's green eyes that almost burned into her soul. "A huge abyss in the Underworld, where the worst monsters come from."

"A bottomless pit of evil," Riss added.

"Anyway," Annabeth continued, "once monsters dissolve, it usually takes months, even years to re-form again. But since this storm spirit Dylan got away – well, I don't know why he'd keep Hedge alive. Hedge was a protector, though. He knew the risks. Satyrs don't have mortal souls. He'll be reincarnated as a tree or a flower or something."

Riss couldn't help but think that Hedge wouldn't ever be something as 'unmanly' as a _flower._ Piper tucked her hands under her arms.

"It'll be okay," Annabeth promised. "You have friends here. We've all been through a lot of weird stuff. We know what you're going through."

"I've been kicked out of five different schools the past five years. My dad's running out of places to put me," Piper challenged and Riss couldn't help but laugh.

"Only _five_? My first monster was a 'poodle' that approached me on the playground when I was six. It was a _chimera_. And everyone thought I was lying about it. I was expelled for attacking the 'dog,' they thought I was unstable. My brother was expelled three days after me –basically, we've been kicked out of every school we've ever been to."

Riss wasn't too fond of dogs after that experience but she was _terrified_ of math teachers. Two words. _Mrs. Dodds_. The Fury had been posing as the Jackson twins' math teacher and even the thought of her still creeped Riss out, and before that, there were more monsters. There were even more after Mrs Dodds, ten times worse than the last ever since she learnt of her parentage.

Annabeth grinned, when she was around Riss their lives were a bit more like competitions than horrible pasts. The Jackson girl had a way of lightening the mood, one that Percy shared with his twin, but when they had first met, Annabeth had hated Percy's attitude, not Riss'. "I ran away from home when I was seven."

"Seriously?" Piper asked, looking between the two girls.

Annabeth nodded seriously, "Oh yeah. Most of us are diagnosed with attention deficient disorder or dyslexia, or both—"

"Leo's ADHD," Piper interrupted.

Riss grinned, "I'm ADHD and dyslexic. Annie's dyslexic too but that never stops the little nerd."

"Right," Annabeth glared playfully at Riss, who smiled back innocently. "It's because we're hardwired for battle. Restless, impulsive – we don't fit in with regular kids. You should hear how much trouble Riss and Percy—" Nerissa and Annabeth's faces darkened, before Annabeth continued. "Anyway, demigods get a bad rep. How'd you get in trouble?"

"I steal stuff," the brunette told them. "Well, not really _steal_ …"

"Is your family poor?"

Piper laughed, a bitter sound. "Not even. I did it…I don't know why. For attention, I guess. My dad never had time for me unless I got in trouble."

"I can relate," Annabeth nodded. "But you said you didn't really steal? What do you mean?"

"Well…nobody ever believe me. The police, teachers – even the people I took stuff from: they're so embarrassed, they'll deny what happened. But the truth is, I don't steal anything. I just ask people for things. And they give me stuff. Even a BMW convertible. I just asked. And the dealer said, 'Sure. Take it.' Later, he realised what he'd done, I guess. Then the police came after me."

Piper waited, looking up. Annabeth was nodding and Riss was biting her lip in concentration.

"Interesting. If you _dad_ was the god, I'd say you're a child of Hermes, god of thieves. He can be pretty convincing. But your dad is mortal…"

"Very," Piper agreed.

Riss glanced up, "Hey! I think your mom is—" She suddenly stopped herself, face blank for a moment before she frowned. "I swear I had it, and then it was just… _gone._ I think the gods are messing with my powers…"

Annabeth shook her head and placed her hand on Riss' arm. "Hey, it's okay." The blonde looked back up at Piper. "I don't know, then. With luck, your mom will claim you tonight."

Riss and Annabeth studied Piper for a moment, thinking the same thing. It was almost like Piper was holding something back from them.

"Come on," Annabeth finally said. "There's something else we need to check."

 **XXXXX**

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 **Percy will not be a whiny little shit but he will get his ass kicked by Riss and Annabeth (best friend tag-team) a lot if he is.**

 _ **The Lost Hero**_ **will be like prequel for Riss, she'll have a part but not a large part and it will mainly be highlighting her connection with Jason, Piper and Leo.**

 **~ Raven**


	4. DELTA

_**DELTA | TEENAGE GIRLS BOND OVER HEARTBREAK AND CASUAL POSSESSION**_

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Heroes of Olympus series or any of the characters. I only own the character Nerissa Jackson and her original plot lines and dialogue.**

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 **THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO** ** _NicoleR85_** **,** ** _yasminasfeir1_ , ****_Ye ye ye ye (Guest)_ ,** **_DreamHunterVo_** **AND** ** _Arianna Le Fay_** **. THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT REVIEWS AND I'M GLAD YOU LIKE THIS STORY!**

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The trio hiked up the hill until they reached the cave near the top. Piper stared, wide-eyed, at the bones and swords littering the ground but Riss merely grinned, finding comfort in the familiar. She'd missed Camp Half-Blood so much, from the U-shaped curve of the cabins, the dangerous, monster-riddled woods, the sound of the clash of sword on sword and the cave on the top of the hill that Riss had helped decorate.

"What's in there?" The brunette girl asked. Annabeth poked her head inside, moving the curtain aside, before moving away.

"Nothing, right now. A friend's place. I've been expecting her for a few days, but so far, nothing."

Riss ran a hand over one of the torches on the wall, jokingly saying, "She probably got held up; Gods know what the life of a mortal kid is like."

"You're friend lives in a cave?"

Annabeth almost managed a smile, "Actually, her family has a luxury condo in Queens, and she goes to a finishing school in Connecticut."

"But yeah," Riss finished, "when she's here at camp, she lives in a cave. She's our oracle, tells the future. We were hoping she could help us—"

"Find Percy," Piper guessed.

"Bingo," Riss pointed a finger gun at Piper but her eyes held no amusement, just a blank, flat ocean of green.

Annabeth sat down on a rock, almost like all the energy seeped out of her. Riss felt the same but she knew if she sat down, she wouldn't want to get up and would probably end up balling her eyes out. Piper looked away, down the hill and gaped.

"That's—a dragon," she stuttered. "That's the _actual_ Golden Fleece?"

Riss sighed, "Yeah. Peleus is a real sweetheart too, he guards it for us." Suddenly, the black-haired girl swayed slightly and crumpled, falling to the ground. Exhaustion had set in and her head had begun to swim, sending the girl to her knees. Annabeth's arms shot out to catch her and Riss apologized, "Sorry," and stood up again. She refused to let herself be weak and in her eyes, going to Apollo's kids for medical help was a sign of that weakness.

"You both look ready to drop," Piper observed. "How long have you been searching for your boyfriend?"

The question was aimed at the blonde and Nerissa pulled Annabeth into a side-hug. Since Percy had gone missing, Annabeth had been working like a woman possessed while Riss was at the Wilderness School. Riss had been at the school for the semester, watching over the half-bloods and Annabeth had immediately Iris-messaged her as soon as Percy disappeared.

"Three days, six hours, and about twelve minutes."

"She counts. Believe it or not, I think it keeps us both sane."

Nerissa hadn't believed it at first – she had just Iris-messaged Percy and Tyson the night before and went to bed. After Annabeth's call, Riss had gotten Hedge to cover for her and she left the school every day to look for Percy in the ocean – without the help of her father. And every day, she returned to the school, immensely disappointed.

"And you've got no idea what happened to him?"

Annabeth looked miserable, shaking her head, "We were so excited because we both started winter break early. We met up at camp on Tuesday, figured we had three weeks together without Riss third-wheeling. It was going to be great."

Riss made a mock-offended face. She was a big supporter of the 'Percabeth' ship, having named herself the captain basically the moment they'd met and she could see the annoyance and attraction they felt for each other from the get-go. It had been four years for Percy and Annabeth to finally get their act together but Riss had been so happy for them. Really, however silly it sounded, Riss was already picturing their wedding and playfully called Annabeth her sister – and her sister-in-law, behind her back.

"Then after the campfire," Annabeth continued, "he—he kissed me good night, went back to his cabin, and in the morning, he was gone. We searched the whole camp. We contacted his mom. We called Riss. We've tried to reach him every way we know how. Nothing. He just disappeared."

"How long were you guys together?" Piper asked gently.

"Since August," Riss supplied. She had a photo of Annabeth and Percy kissing underwater next to Percy's bed. She was the only one able to breath underwater and she had bought a waterproof camera. It was an amazing photo and Riss loved it because she saw the same emotion shared between her best friend and brother – _love_. Her entire wall on her side of the cabin – Riss and Percy had fought about it jokingly, until they separated the cabin down the middle – was covered in pictures of nearly everyone in the camp. There was even a photo of Luke and Riss, smiling at the camera with the childlike innocence they had had when they'd first met, although that hadn't lasted long.

"August eighteenth," Annabeth added.

"Best birthday present ever for Perce, I suppose…"

"Almost exactly when I met Jason," Piper said. "But we've only been together a few weeks."

Both Annabeth and Riss winced. The Mist really was horrible on the minds of demigods; while it helped mortals, it often just made life difficult for the children of the gods. But Riss was thankful that, by a complete accident, she and Percy had met Rachel Elizabeth Dare. She had a (reasonably) normal, mortal life and the added benefit of seeing through the Mist and for once, Percy and Riss had a friend who wasn't always facing what they faced, but still understood the pressures of being a demigod.

But Rachel wasn't there now to help Riss and Annabeth break the news to Piper.

"Piper…about that," Annabeth started slowly. "Maybe you should sit down."

Riss couldn't help but flinch at the look of panic on her friend's face. "This…this is something you need to know, Pipes," Riss consoled her friend quietly. "It might be a bit upsetting to hear but you need to hear it, okay?"

This was going to break Piper's heart but she needed to know. Riss knew this wasn't going to be easy for Piper to believe. Riss had been labelled as crazy at Yancy Academy because of the Mist and right now, it was even messing with her mind.

"Piper," Annabeth started, her voice sad. "It's the Mist."

"Missed…what?"

Riss gently placed her hands on Piper's shoulders, "M-i-s-t. It's a kind of like a veil that separates the mortal world from the magic world. Mortal minds – they can't process strange stuff like gods and monsters, so the Mist bends reality. It keeps them safe."

"It makes mortals see things in a way they can _understand_ – like their eyes might just skip over this valley completely, or they might look at the dragon and see a pile of cables," Annabeth continued.

Piper swallowed, "No. You said yourself I'm not a regular mortal. I'm a demigod."

Riss moved away and sat down now, her head beginning to buzz. Even _she_ had been affected, which meant someone was directly aiming to alter Riss' memories. This must be so hard for Piper – she had fallen for Jason and now she was finding out it was all fake.

"Even demigods can be affected." Annabeth spoke to Piper like how Riss spoke to frightened horses. "I've seen it lots of times. Monsters infiltrate some place like a school, pass themselves off as human, and everyone _thinks_ they remember that person. They believe he's always been around."

Riss' eyes were unfocused as she tried to remember Jason, "The Mist can change memories, even create memories of things that never happened—"

"But Jason's not a monster!" Piper exclaimed. "How can you think he is, Nerissa? He's a human guy, or a demigod, or whatever you want to call him. My memories aren't fake. They're _so_ real. The time we set Coach Hedge's pants on fire. The time Jason and I watched a meteor shower on the dorm roof and I finally got that stupid guy to kiss me…" Piper began to ramble on about the times she and Jason shared, telling Annabeth and Riss all about the semester.

Riss' heart tightened and she frowned. Did Riss' heart hurt because Piper was telling her all about something that she couldn't remember or hadn't experienced…or was it because it hadn't been _her_ that had been with Jason? The Jackson girl flicked her black hair off her shoulders, now was _not_ the time for even the slightest twinge of jealously – a jealousy Riss couldn't understand at all.

Annabeth pursed her lips, "Piper, your memories are sharper than most. I'll admit that, and I don't know what it is. Riss has already started to forget him and she'd not that susceptible to the Mist. But if you know him so well—"

"I do!" Piper insisted. Piper knew that Riss knew him as well, but she didn't know Jason as well as _Piper_ did. Jason was Piper's _boyfriend_ and they did know each other, better than anyone!

"Then where is he from?"

Piper looked stunned and Riss felt her heart constrict. "He must have told me, but—"

"Did you ever notice his tattoo before today? Did he ever tell you anything about his parents, or his friends, or his last school?" Annabeth interrogated.

"I—I don't know, but—"

The green-eyed girl placed a hand on Annabeth's shoulder, silently telling her to stop for a moment. Riss breathed out and asked one question that could _really_ determine if Piper knew Jason.

"Piper, what's his last name?" Riss asked quietly, barely loud enough for Piper to hear.

But she did hear.

Piper's face went blank and she started to cry. Riss was beside her in a second, gently rubbing her back as they hugged. Piper sobbed into her friend's shoulder, who cooed, telling her everything was going to be okay.

"Hey," Annabeth said, "We'll figure it out. Jason's here now. Who knows? Maybe it'll work out with you guys for real." Annabeth even looked to be doubting her words though, having noticed the connection Jason already held with Nerissa.

Piper pulled away and brushed the tears away, "You guys brought me up here so no one would see me blubbering, right?"

Annabeth shrugged, "We figured it would be hard for you. I know what it's like to lose a boyfriend."

"Or anyone you care about and think you know, in general," Riss added, brows furrowed.

"But I still can't believe…I _know_ we had something," Piper insisted. "And now it's just gone, like he doesn't even recognize me. If he really did just show up today, then why? How'd he get there? Why can't he remember anything?"

"Good questions," Annabeth admitted. "Hopefully Chiron can figure that out. But for now, we need to get you settled. You ready to go back down?"

Riss watched in silence as Piper glanced around, down at the cabins.

"Yeah." Riss could tell Piper was lying. "I'm ready."

 **XXXXX**

The central green was filled with campers. Every shot was an automatic three-pointer. A ball rolled over to Riss and she used water from a nearby bucket to swish it into the hoop. The campers cheered for Riss, who mock-bowed and continued walking.

"Apollo's cabin." Annabeth explained, clapping for her friend. "Bunch of show-offs with missile weapons – arrows, basketballs."

"They taught me how to use my bow," Riss explained. "Without them, I'd still be impaling Chiron's horse-ass."

Annabeth grinned but Piper just looked confused. The three continued past the fire pit, seeing two campers with swords. "Real blades?" Piper asked. "Isn't that dangerous?"

"That's sort of the point," Annabeth said and then almost winced. "Uh, sorry. Bad pun. That's my cabin over there. Number Six." The blonde indicated the grey building with a carved owl over the door, the one belonging to Athena. "Speaking of blades, come here," Annabeth continued, gesturing to the weapon shed to get Piper a weapon.

"Uh, I'm going to my cabin, I should try the fountain again." Annabeth nodded. "Cabin Number Three, if you need me, Pipes," Riss stated and walked off. Piper watched as her friend disappeared into a low, gray cabin – the one with walls that were lined with shells – and Piper could smell the comforting scent of the ocean wafting from it from where they stood.

The daughter of Poseidon took in a deep breath, breathing in the salty scent that was always in the cabin. Riss flopped onto Percy's bed, admiring the bronze Hippocampi that the Jackson twins' Cyclops brother – Tyson – had made.

This cabin had always been her home and Camp Half-Blood was her safe haven. And now, without her brothers there with her, Riss didn't feel as at home or as safe.

The small fountain gifted to Percy, Riss and Tyson, burbled in the corner and Riss got up, walking over to it. The Jackson girl stared at the water blankly for a few minutes. Finally, Riss shook her head. Nothing ever good was going to happen from just staring at it.

She was slightly unsteady as she swiped a hand over the fountain. The water sprayed up, making a rainbow and Riss tossed a golden _drachma_ into the spray. "Oh Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering." The _drachma_ disappeared and Riss let out a shaky breath, "Show me Perseus Jackson."

The water shimmered and for a moment, there was a blurry image of a teenage boy with black hair and green eyes. He was running, eyes wide in what could only be fear, a familiar Celestial Bronze sword clutched in his hand. And then it was gone. "No…" Riss whispered, before raising her voice, "No!"

The green-eyed girl collapsed back onto Percy's bed, eyes closed tightly. Swiping away a few stray tears, she staggered up, out of the cabin and headed to Zeus and Hera's cabins, where she could see Piper and Annabeth. Riss sped up as she saw Piper walk inside her least favourite goddess' cabin – Hera's.

 **XXXXX**

Annabeth gasped as Riss slid to a stop beside the blonde and they both questioned in unison, "Rachel?"

The figure front of them, dressed completely in black, turned and dropped the shawl that was over their head. Rachel's bright, curly red hair could be recognised anywhere and she ran forward.

"Hey!" She gave Annabeth a hug before she hugged Riss as well. "I'm so sorry! I came as fast as I could."

The three friend spoke for a few moments. Annabeth and Riss told Rachel about how there was no new news on Percy – "Little shit just had to go and get himself kidnapped. And he's proud to call himself the older twin" – before they remembered Piper standing there, confused beyond belief.

"We're being rude," Annabeth apologized, "Rachel, this is Piper, one of the new half-bloods we rescued today. Piper, this is Rachel Elizabeth Dare, our oracle."

"The friend who lives in a cave," Piper guessed.

"That's her, weirdest of them all," Riss teased. It had been a running joke for the two since they had met. If anything, Rachel was the most normal of them all.

Rachel stuck her tongue out at Riss, as Piper asked, "So you're an oracle? You can tell the future?"

"More like the future mugs me from time to time," Rachel corrected. "I speak prophecies. The oracle's spirit kind of hijacks me every once in a while and speaks important stuff that doesn't make any sense to anybody. But yeah, the prophecies tell the future."

"I know how that feels," Riss muttered and, at Piper's confused look, clarified. "I'm the voice of the gods at times – I state the godly parent of a demigod as their claimed, I sometimes deliver messages. Like I did with Leo."

Riss genuinely didn't know why her powers worked that way, because, seriously, why would they need her to be mugged by the gods if they just put a symbol above their kid's head? But Riss knew, even if she hadn't figured it out completely yet, that there was more to her powers than anyone knew.

"Oh." Piper shifted from foot-to-foot. "That's cool."

Both Rachel and Riss laughed. Being hijacked by the spirit of the oracle and occasionally the gods was not fun.

"I'm a glorified voicemail machine," the Jackson girl rolled her eyes.

"Don't worry. Everyone finds it a little creepy. Even us," Rachel told her. "But usually I'm harmless. Riss…is another story."

Riss glared playfully. She had been known to become a little… _aggressive_ when the gods spoke through her, channeling the power – and temper – of the god or goddess who wanted to speak. The last 'incident,' where Zeus had decided to leave a message, had resulted in a _small_ lightning-induced forest fire. No one had gotten hurt! Much…

Piper grinned back at Rachel, "You're a demigod?"

"Nope," Rachel popped the 'p.' "Just mortal."

"Then what are you…" Piper waved vaguely around the room.

The smile on Rachel's face faded, "Just a hunch. Something about this cabin and Percy's disappearance. They're connected somehow. I've learned to follow my hunches, especially the last month, since the gods went silent."

"Hmmm," Riss hummed. "I've been having trouble predicting demigod parents and they're blocking me from remembering things as well." Rachel and Annabeth frowned and Riss elaborated, "Remember my _somewhat_ freaky intuition?" The girls nodded. Riss had a talent to sometimes randomly blurt out ideas and, more often than not, she was right. "Yeah, well, I'm beginning to lose my train of thought when I suddenly think of something that could possibly be the answer to all our problems."

Piper frowned, "Went silent?"

Riss furrowed her brows at Annabeth, "I thought you'd told her already." The black-haired girl turned to Piper, "Piper, for the last month…well, it's normal for the gods not to talk to their children very much, but usually we count on some messages now and then. Some of us even visit Olympus. Annabeth practically spent all semester at the Empire State Building."

"Excuse me?"

"The entrance to Mount Olympus these days," Annabeth said.

"Oh. Sure, why not?"

"Annabeth was redesigning Olympus after it was damaged in the Titan War," Rachel explained. "She's an amazing architect. You should see the salad bar—"

"You and that salad bar – should to marry it one day," Riss mumbled.

"Anyway," Annabeth cut Riss off, "starting about a month ago, Olympus fell silent. The entrance closed, and no one could get in."

Riss nodded in agreement, "After Percy disappeared, I tried speaking to our father through the ocean and when that didn't work, I went to Olympus. No one let me in."

"Nobody knows why," Annabeth continued. "It's like the gods have sealed themselves off. Even my mom won't answer my prayers, and our camp director, Dionysus, was recalled."

"Your camp director was the god of…wine?"

"Oh, he was a horrible director; he never got my name right, sent me on quests I almost died on all the time. Good strawberry grower, though."

Riss didn't mention the god's sons, one of which, Castor, hadn't survived the Titan war. But both Castor and Pollux, the twin sons of Dionysus, had been extremely nice and nothing like their father. Riss had always quite liked watching them grow strawberries in her free time.

"Yeah, it's a—"

"Long story," Piper guessed and received a nod from the other girls. "Right. Go on."

"That's it, really. Demigods still get claimed, Riss still get spoken through, but nothing else. No messages. No visits. No sign the gods are even listening. It's like something happened – something _really_ bad. And then Percy disappeared."

"And Jason showed up on our fieldtrip," Riss added. "Oddly enough, with no memory. Coincidence? I think not."

"Who's Jason?" Rachel asked.

"My—" Piper paused, about to say 'boyfriend,' "My friend. But Annabeth, you said Hera sent you a dream vision."

"Right," Annabeth agreed, "The first communication from a god in a month, and it's Hera, the least helpful goddess, and she contacts me, her least favourite demigod."

"Uh, no," Riss interjected. "I think _I_ get that prize." Hera hated Annabeth, loathed Thalia but absolutely despised Riss. Nerissa had no idea why but something about her seemed to make her a target for Hera's hatred. Nerissa had actually had the gall to ask once and the cryptic goddess had only told her, 'You are the connection that can doom us all, if not kept in check.' That had been ominous and the Jackson girl hadn't asked again. "Besides, that good-for-nothing goddess needs to stop hanging out with such _cows_."

The sky gave a grumble above them and Riss flicked up her middle finger to the roof of Hera's cabin. She was far beyond caring. Annabeth chuckled slightly, before continuing, "She tells me I'll find out what happened to Percy if I go to the Grand Canyon skywalk and look for a guy with one shoe. Instead, I find you guys and best friend, who's just been beaten up and tossed off a canyon, and the guy with one shoe is Jason. It doesn't make sense."

"Never does."

"Something bad is happening," Rachel agreed.

Piper opened her mouth, beginning to say, "Guys, I—I need to—"

Before she could finish, Rachel suddenly stiffened. Her eyes began to glow bright green and Riss jumped forward, realising something really _was_ wrong. She pushed Piper out of the way a split-second before Rachel's hands could clamp over her shoulders. Instead, Riss found herself in Rachel's steel-like grip.

" _Free me_ ," Rachel told her. " _Free me, Nerissa Jackson, or the earth shall swallow us. Become what you were born to be – the connection to save us. It must be by the solstice._ "

Annabeth and Piper were struggling to pry Rachel off Riss, but it wasn't working. Riss could feel her own power starting to clash with whoever had taken Rachel over and the room was spinning. " _Our enemies stir. The fiery one is only the first. Let the demigod bow to his will and their kings shall rise, dooming us all. FREE ME!_ "

"Hera…" Riss breathed out, before she collapsed to the ground. Her head thumped against the floor and it all went black.

 **XXXXX**

Jason and Chiron were talking in the Big House when they heard the footsteps on the porch. Piper, Annabeth and a redhead struggled in a moment later. Riss lay between them, her head lolled forward. Her arms were thrown over the redhead's and Annabeth's shoulders and Piper was standing behind them, wringing her hands in worry.

"What happened?" Jason asked frantically as he hurried over. "What's wrong with her?"

"Hera's cabin," Annabeth panted, tired from the run from Hera's cabin to the Big House. "Vision. Bad."

The redhead looked up, Jason seeing the tear-tracks down her cheeks. "I think…" She gulped. "I think I may have killed her."

 **XXXXX**

Jason and the redhead, who introduced herself as Rachel, put Riss on the coach. They had poured a bit of water on Riss' hands, but when nothing happened, Annabeth had immediately ran off to get a med-kit. Rachel briefly explained how a child of Poseidon healed, which didn't help diminish Jason's worry. Piper was pacing beside the coach, still wringing her hands. Riss was breathing raggedly and wouldn't wake up, no matter how much Rachel shook her shoulder or Piper begged her to wake up.

"It should have been me," Piper mumbled, eyes unfocused and still pacing. "She knew what was going to happen. Riss pushed me out of the way."

"We've got to heal her. There's a way, right?" Jason was hovering protectively, feeling his heart wrench at how vulnerable Riss looked. They had been close by each other since the Grand Canyon and Jason couldn't help but think that the minute he'd left her side, _this_ had happened.

Chiron grimaced, seeing one of his best pupils in the state Riss was in pained him and the centaur placed his hand on her forehead, "Her mind is in a fragile state. The water _should_ have healed her but her distance from Percy is taking its toll on her. Rachel, what happened?"

"I wish I knew," she said. "As soon as I got to camp, I had a premonition about Hera's cabin. I went inside. Annabeth, Piper and Riss came in while I was there. We talked, and then – I just blanked out. Annabeth said I spoke in a different in a different voice."

"A prophecy?" Chiron asked.

"No. The spirit of Delphi comes from within. I know how that feels. This was like a long distance, a power trying to speak through me. Riss said 'Hera' before she just…" Rachel waved at Riss' prone body.

Annabeth ran back into the room with a leather pouch, "Chiron, what happened back there – I've never seen anything like it. I've heard Rachel's prophecy voice. This sound different. She sounded like an older woman. She grabbed Riss' shoulder and told her—"

"To free her from a prison?" Jason guessed.

Annabeth stared, "How did you know that?"

Chiron made a three-fingers gesture over his heart, warding off evil, "Jason, tell them. Annabeth, the medicine bag, please."

Annabeth passed the bag over and Chiron trickled a few drops from the bag into Riss' mouth. Jason explained what had happened when the room froze – the dark misty woman who claimed to be his patron.

No spoke for a moment. "So does this happen often? Supernatural phone calls from convicts demanding you bust them out of jail?"

"Your patron," Annabeth noted. "Not your godly parent?"

"No, she said _patron_. She also said my dad had given her my life."

Annabeth frowned, "I've never heard of anything like that before. You said the storm spirit on the skywalk – he claimed to be working for some mistress giving him orders, right? Could it be this woman you saw, messing with your mind?"

"I don't think so," Jason disagreed. "If she were my enemy, why would she be asking for my help? She's imprisoned. She's worried about some enemy getting more powerful. Something about a king rising from the earth on the solstice—"

Annabeth turned to Chiron in worry, "Not Kronos. Please tell me it's not that."

The centaur looked miserable. He held Nerissa's wrist, checking her pulse. At last he said, "It is not Kronos. That threat is ended. But…"

"But what?" Annabeth asked, eyebrows pulled together.

Chiron closed the medicine bag. "Nerissa needs rest. We should discuss this later."

"Or now," Jason pressed. "Sir, Mr Chiron, you told me the greatest threat was coming. The last chapter. You can't possibly mean something worse than an army of Titans, right?"

" _Oh_ ," Rachel said in a small voice. "Oh, dear. The woman was Hera. Of course. Her cabin, her voice. Riss even said it but I thought she just said her name because of the cabin. She showed herself to Jason at the same moment."

"Hera?" Annabeth's snarl was even fiercer than Seymour's. "She took you over? She did this to Riss – _she_ was the one who hurt my _best friend_?"

"I think Rachel's right," Jason said. "The woman did seem like a goddess. And she wore this—this goatskin cloak. That's a symbol of Juno, isn't it?"

"It is?" Annabeth scowled. "I've never heard that."

"Of Juno, Hera's Roman aspect, in her most warlike state. The goatskin cloak was a symbol of the Roman soldier," Chiron admitted reluctantly.

"So Hera is imprisoned?" Rachel asked. "Who could do that to the queen of the gods?"

Annabeth crossed her arms. "Well, whoever they are, maybe we should thank them. If they can shut up Hera—"

"Annabeth," Chiron warned, "she is still one of the Olympians. In many ways, she is the glue that holds the gods' family together. If she truly has been imprisoned and is in danger of destruction, this could shake the foundations of the world. It could unravel the stability of Olympus, which is never great even in the best of times. And if Hera has asked Jason for help—"

"Fine," Annabeth grumbled. "Well, we know Titans can capture a god, right? Atlas captured Artemis a few years ago. And in the old stories, the gods captured each other in traps all the time. But something worse than a Titan…?"

Jason looked at the leopard's head, "Hera said she'd been trying to break through her prison bonds for a month."

"Which is how long Olympus has been closed," Annabeth said. "So the gods must know something bad is going on."

"But why use her energy to send me here?" Jason asked, still confused. "She wiped my memory, plopped me into the Wilderness School field trip, and sent you a dream vision to come pick me up. Why am I so important? Why not just send up an emergency flare to the other gods—let them know where she is so they bust her out?"

"The gods need heroes to do their will down here on earth," Rachel said. "That's right, isn't it? Their fates are always intertwined with demigods."

"That's true," Annabeth said, "but Jason's got a point. Why him? Why take his memory?"

"And Riss' involved somehow," Rachel said. "Hera sent her the same message – _free me_ – but then again, I don't know, I _was_ reaching for Piper. But maybe she knew Riss would jump in front and planned it that way? And, Annabeth, this must have something to do with Percy's disappearing."

Annabeth fixed her eyes on Chiron. "Why are you so quiet, Chiron? What is it we're facing?"

The old centaur's face looked like it had aged ten years in a matter of minutes. The lines around his eyes were deeply etched. "My dear, in this, I cannot help you. I am so sorry."

Annabeth blinked. "You've never…you've never kept information from me. Even the last great prophecy—"

"I will be in my office." His voice was heavy. "I need some time to think before dinner. Rachel, will you watch Nerissa? Call Argus to bring her to the infirmary, if you'd like. And Annabeth, you should speak with Jason. Tell him about—about the Greek and Roman gods."

"But…"

The centaur turned his wheelchair and rolled off down the hallway. Annabeth's eyes turned stormy. She muttered something in Greek, and Jason got the feeling it wasn't complimentary toward centaurs.

"I'm sorry," Jason said. "I think my being here – I don't know. I've messed things up coming to the camp, somehow. Riss is in a coma. Chiron said he'd sworn an oath and couldn't talk about it."

"What oath?" Annabeth demanded. "I've never seen him act this way. And why would he tell me to talk to you about the gods…"

Her voice trailed off. Apparently she'd just noticed Jason's sword sitting on the coffee table. She touched the blade gingerly, like it might be hot. "Is this gold?" she said. "Do you remember where you got it?"

"No," Jason said. "Like I said, I don't remember anything."

Annabeth nodded, like she'd just come up with a rather desperate plan. "If Chiron won't help, we'll need to figure things out ourselves. Which means…Cabin Fifteen. Rachel, Piper, you'll keep an eye on Riss?"

"Of course," Rachel promised. Riss was one of her closest friends. "Good luck, you two."

Piper, who had been silent the entire time, nodded and mumbled, "Good luck."

"Hold on," Jason said. "What's in Cabin Fifteen?"

Annabeth stood. "Maybe a way to get your memory back."

Jason hovered for a minute, eyes not leaving Riss, but he eventually bit his lip and walked out of the Big House with Annabeth. As they left, Riss let out a light sigh, a sound so light that Rachel and Piper almost thought they imagined it. The pair watched the black-haired girl closely but she didn't move again.

 **XXXXX**

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 **In case anyone missed it, Percy is one of those sassy, 'I'm older' type of twins. Riss is the younger and currently the only daughter of Poseidon and does not like it AT ALL when Percy rubs it in her face that he's older.**

 **This story is also going to be the first story in a trilogy (if I stay committed to writing it) and I'm excited.**

 **Please, review, follow and favorite! Tell me what you think of this story, constructive criticism is always welcome.**

 **~ Raven**


	5. EPSILON

_**EPSILON | DROWNING APHRODITE'S DAUGHTERS IS A HOBBY**_

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Heroes of Olympus series or any of the characters. I only own the character Nerissa Jackson and her original plot lines and dialogue.**

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 **THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO** ** _NicoleR85_** **AND** _ **Arianna Le Fay**_ **FOR THEIR GREAT REVIEWS! THANK YOU AND I HOPE YOU LIKE THE CHAPTER!**

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Riss dreamt of Percy and their mother, Sally, on one of their trips to Montauk. It was nice, _too nice_ to be real. But it was amazing to see Percy again. They were the halves of each other – Percy and Riss were opposites and parallels of each other all at the same time. Riss was amazing with a bow, Percy was lousy but they were both amazing with swords. Percy struggled with reading anything, Riss was able to push past it but they both rubbish at writing and avoided it as best they could. Riss flew through Latin, Percy flew through Ancient Greek but they both had a distinct talent for swearing in either language. They balanced each other – when Percy was reckless, Riss was the level-head. When Riss was too serious, Percy was the one cracking jokes and bringing a smile to his sister's face.

"I miss you," Riss mumbled quietly, watching her family have fun. Sally was laughing as Percy paddled in the waves and continually spat out sea-water, worried that he would drown. That was something that was different now, because the twins knew that their weird ability to hold their breath for ages was actually their ability to breathe underwater.

Nerissa knew this was a dream but she found herself wishing it was real – they had always been so happy at Montauk – _mortal_ and carefree – but they hadn't been in a while and her stepfather, Paul Blofis, wasn't there. Riss missed the carefree happiness she had felt before knowing she was a demigod, but she wouldn't ever give that aspect of her life up.

The green-eyed girl watched for a few more moments, a small smile playing on her lips before the scene changed abruptly, sending the Jackson girl stumbling onto a dimly lit street.

Riss now stood in the middle of the road. Percy was running towards her, his orange shirt ripped and his hand tightly clutching Riptide. He was being chased by… _something_ and Riss couldn't see who, or what, it was.

"Percy!" Riss called and Percy's eyes flicked around. "Percy! _Perseus_!"

The boy paused, seeing a black-haired, green-eyed girl in the middle of the road, yelling what he assumed was a garbled version of his name. " _Perseus_! _Be careful_!"

But then she was gone, and Percy felt more alone than ever, almost as if he had gotten the missing part of himself back, before she was gone. He knew this wasn't the 'Annabeth' he kept thinking about but maybe this was the sister he remembered vaguely. All he really knew, was that he felt empty without his twin with him.

 **XXXXX**

"Perseus. Be careful…" Riss breathed, her voice a gasp when she meant it to be a yell and her eyes were still tightly closed.

Rachel's eyes widened, pausing in her motion of dabbing a cool cloth to Riss' head. "Where? Come on, use your 'twin-thing.' Tell me where."

Riss didn't answer, remaining still and continuing to breathe raggedly. The redhead oracle was up in a second, standing and frantically trying to shake Riss awake. "Come on, Riss. I know you. You're strong."

"And stubborn," Piper added, her hand tight on her new dagger, Katoptris.

The red-haired girl's nudging became more insistent and she finally turned, grabbed a glass of water and doused Riss in it. "Rise and shine, mermaid!"

Riss shot up with a gasp, the water rejuvenating her, but she clutched at her head. "Where—" She paused, seeing Argus in the doorway and smiled. "Hello, Argus." The many-eyed man gave a grumble in greeting and Riss sighed, looking over at Rachel, "I'm in the Big House, aren't I?"

"We brought you after you collapsed. I grabbed you. Hera's voice—"

The oracle cut herself off and Riss was suddenly captured in a three-way hug. She heard Rachel sniffling lightly and sighed again. "Hey, Rach, I'm okay. It's fine." The Jackson girl winced, "Uh, Pipes, loosen up a bit."

Piper apologized as she loosened her hold around Riss' neck. "We were really worried."

Riss frowned, "I was out longer than usual, wasn't I? And you needed to use the nectar?"

Rachel nodded slowly, her brows furrowed and her lips pinched, "It's the 'twin-thing.' Percy's too far away."

"I hate being so _useless_ ," Riss grumbled, scrubbing at her face. The Jackson girl _hated_ having to be dependent on anyone, even her friends and family, but that was becoming a habit for her lately.

"You are _not_ useless. But you can help more if you can remember your vision."

"Something's wrong with Hera," Riss said. "She told me to free her – she's trapped by something worse than Kronos. She mentioned the earth swallowing us, and a fiery one, and something about the solstice." Riss pursed her lips, "She called me 'the connection' again."

In the corner, Argus made a rumbling sound in his chest. His eyes all fluttered at once and Piper shifted, "Is he okay?"

"Hera created Argus," Rachel explained. "He's actually very sensitive when it comes to her safety. We're trying to keep him from crying, because last time that happened…well, it caused quite a flood."

Argus sniffled. He grabbed a fistful of Kleenex from the bedside table and started dabbing eyes all over his body.

"It's okay, sweetie," Riss cooed to the many-eyed man. "We'll find Hera." Riss didn't like seeing Argus upset, he was always so good to everyone at the camp, despite his creator being a horrible woman – in Nerissa's opinion.

"So…" Riss tried to divert Piper's attention away from Argus, who was wiping the tears from his elbows. "What's happened to Hera? That goddess would never ask for my help and I don't understand how Piper could help." Riss looked at Piper, realising how that sounded. "No offense, but you're new, you still don't understand this world." Piper shrugged, not offended, and Riss turned back to Rachel. "But you _had_ been reaching for Piper, not me. I just got in the way."

"We're not sure," Rachel said. "Maybe she knew you'd protect Piper? Annabeth and Jason were here before too, by the way. Jason didn't want to leave you, but Annabeth had an idea – something that might restore his memories."

Riss smiled easily, "Jason's memories are more important than my little _episode_. Hopefully he'll remember who he is."

"That…that would great," Piper said but Riss could hear the tightness in her voice.

"Jason seems like a good guy. He had a vision too, a lot like yours," Rachel told her dark-haired friend. "Whatever's happening with Hera – I think you two are meant to work together."

Riss nodded but bounced up quickly, remembering her dreams, "Rach, please take Piper to the campfire. I'm really sorry I can't come with you, Piper, but I need to talk to Chiron." Without waiting for a response, the girl was headed to Chiron's office almost running down the hall.

 **XXXXX**

"What do you think it means?"

Riss had just told Chiron all about her dream. Although the old centaur refused to discuss anything to do with the Greek and Roman gods, he was able to talk to Nerissa about what she saw went she was unconscious.

Chiron frowned, "Nerissa, that night when you were twelve. You struggled over the barrier, helping your brother drag one of your friends with you. And then you both collapsed. You had a long cut on your forehead from a rock and when I looked at Percy, I saw a lump on his head, exactly where your cut was." Riss nodded, remembering the night clearly. That was the night she thought her mother had died. "Demigods are powerful. Demigod children of the Big Three are even more so. But _twin_ demigod children of the Big Three are both gifted and cursed."

"We can sense each other, I know. If one of us were to die, the other would feel it. We're stronger together than apart. We can heal quicker if we're close, like if we're holding hands or something. And…I am stronger than Percy but more susceptible to weakness if we're apart," Riss repeated the lessons Chiron had told her throughout since she had first made it to Camp Half-Blood.

"You will always be one of my brighter pupils, my dear," Chiron praised. "Go to the campfire, I'm sure your talents will be needed tonight."

Riss smiled in return, mock-saluted at the old centaur and headed out of the Big House, already recovering from the pounding headache she'd had since she woke up and headed to the campfire.

 **XXXXX**

"I didn't find Percy," Annabeth announced, having stood to face the campers. Her voice caught a little when she said his name. "He wasn't at the Grand Canyon like I thought. But we're not giving up. We've got teams everywhere. Grover, Tyson, Nico, the Hunters of Artemis — everyone's out looking. We will find him. Chiron's talking about something different. A new quest."

Riss had gotten late to the campfire. She had gone to her cabin – the one she normally shared with her brothers – and it had been sad and empty. She didn't know why she felt like it would change but she had still felt disappointed. The slight vision of Percy she had gotten earlier hadn't appeared again after multiple tries and Riss had angrily changed her clothes and stalked to the campfire.

"It's the Great Prophecy, isn't it?" A girl called out.

Everyone turned. The children of Aphrodite been chatting among themselves and not paying much attention until their leader stood up: Drew. Everyone else looked surprised. Drew hardly ever addressed the group, and Riss didn't care if it sounded rude or not, but they all knew that the majority of the love goddess' children were airheads.

"Drew?" Annabeth asked. "What do you mean?"

"Well, come on." Drew spread her hands like the truth was obvious and Riss raised a brow in annoyance. "Olympus is closed. Percy's disappeared. Hera sends you a vision and you come back with three new demigods in one day. I mean, something weird is going on. The Great Prophecy has started, right?"

Piper whispered to Rachel, Nerissa being able to hear her as she was on Rachel's other side, "What's she talking about – the Great Prophecy?" Everyone else was looking at Rachel, too.

"Well?" Drew called down. "You're the oracle. Has it started or not?"

Rachel's eyes looked scary in the firelight. She stepped forward calmly and addressed the camp. "Yes," she said. "The Great Prophecy has begun."

Pandemonium broke out and Riss scoffed, stepping forward. "Hey! _Freeze_!" The noise stopped immediately, everyone freezing to stare at the daughter of Poseidon they hadn't realised was there. "We need to remain calm! I know, a lot of things are happening right now, but we need to work together and listen to each other. You older campers will know that we beat Kronos _working together_ and we almost lost because there were traitors among us." The older campers shifted, remembering all their supposed-friends who had fought with the Titans to destroy the gods but Nerissa wasn't finished, "But Silena, she fought with us. _Luke died for us_. So did a lot of others. Demigods…we're _always_ stronger as a team, so let's act like one."

Obviously the crowd respected her, because everyone sat down, preparing to listen in silence. Jason looked at Riss, awed. She had just been in what was almost like a coma and now she was already back to controlling a rowdy group of demigods.

Rachel smiled in thanks at Riss and took another step toward the audience, and fifty-plus demigods leaned away from her, as if one skinny redheaded mortal was more intimidating than all of them put together. Well, almost – Riss was far more intimidating.

"For those of you who have not heard it," Rachel said, "the Great Prophecy was my first prediction. It arrived in August. It goes like this: 'Eight half-bloods shall answer the call. To storm or fire the world must fall—'"

Jason shot to his feet. His eyes looked wild, like he'd just been electrocuted.

Even Rachel seemed caught off guard. "J-Jason?" she stuttered. "What's—"

" _Ut cum spiritu postrema sacramentum dejuremus_ ," he chanted. " _Et hostes ornamenta addent ad ianuam necem_."

Riss sucked in a surprised breath, hurrying to stand beside Jason, who sagged against her as she wrapped an arm around him. He looked drained, like remembering those few lines was enough to make him want to fall asleep in exhaustion. "Hey, it's okay. Just… _rest_ …" Riss advised, running her hand through his blonde hair.

"You just…finished the prophecy," Rachel stammered. "—an oath to keep with a final breath / and foes bear arms to the Doors of Death. How did you—"

"I know those lines." Jason winced and put his hands to his temples, "I don't know how, but I know that prophecy."

"In Latin, no less," Drew called out. "Handsome and smart."

The Aphrodite cabin giggled and Riss' lip curled back in distaste, "Oh, _please_. Sorry to break it you, _honey_ , but if the world is destroyed by a threat worse than Kronos, finding a boyfriend who will put up with your stupidity is going to be the _least_ of your worries."

The Aphrodite cabin shut up, Drew looked offended and Jason sat down, looking embarrassed. Riss sat with him, keeping her arm around him in comfort, muttering quietly. Piper felt a pang of jealousy, seeing Jason and Riss together but turned back to Rachel.

"Well," Rachel said, trying to regain her composure. "So, yeah, that's the Great Prophecy. We hoped it might not happen for years, but I fear it's starting now. I can't give you proof. It's just a feeling. And like Drew said, some weird stuff is happening. The seven demigods, whoever they are, have not been gathered yet. I get the feeling some are here tonight. Some are not here."

The campers began to stir and mutter, looking at each other nervously, until a drowsy voice in the crowd called out, "I'm here! Oh…were you calling roll?"

Riss couldn't help but chuckle, calling back, "Sweet dreams, Clovis," causing quite a few people to laugh. The boy dropped back into dreamland at Riss' suggestion and she smiled kindly at the younger boy.

"Anyway," Rachel continued, "We don't know what the Great Prophecy means. We don't know what challenge the demigods will face, but since the first Great Prophecy predicted the Titan War, we can guess the second Great Prophecy will predict something at least that bad."

"Or worse," Chiron and Riss murmured in unison, exchanging a slight look.

"What we do know," Rachel continued, "is that the first phase has begun. A major problem has arisen, and we need a quest to solve it. Hera, the queen of the gods, has been taken."

Shocked silence. Then fifty demigods started talking at once.

Chiron pounded his hoof again, but Rachel still had to wait before she could get back their attention. Riss put her fingers to her mouth and let out a high-pitched whistle, making the campers silent again.

Rachel told them about the incident on the Grand Canyon skywalk – how Gleeson Hedge had sacrificed himself when the storm spirits attacked, and the spirits had warned it was only the beginning. They apparently served some great mistress who would destroy all demigods.

Then Rachel told them about Riss passing out in Hera's cabin. Riss' face was completely blank until she noticed Drew in the back row, pantomiming a faint, and her friends giggling. Promptly, water from the lake reached out and soaked Drew, who screeched and fanned at her face, complaining about her makeup running. Laughter was elicited from the campers, even Drew's siblings laughed and Chiron sent Riss a disapproving look, which she merely shrugged and innocently smiled at.

Finally Rachel told them about Jason's vision in the living room of the Big House. The message Hera had delivered there was so similar to what Riss saw that Piper got a chill. The only difference: Hera had warned Riss not to let someone betray her: _Let the demigod bow to his will, and their king shall rise, dooming us all_.

"Jason," Rachel said. "Um…do you remember your last name?" He looked down, self-conscious, his hand tightening around Riss' before shaking his head.

"We'll just call you Jason, then," the oracle offered. "It's clear Hera herself has issued you a quest."

Rachel paused, as if giving Jason a chance to protest his destiny. Everyone's eyes were on him; there was so much pressure, Piper thought she would've buckled in his position. Yet he looked brave and determined. Riss smiled, having seen the same look on her brother's face.

He set his jaw and nodded. "I agree."

"You must save Hera to prevent a great evil," Rachel continued. "Some sort of king from rising. For reasons we don't yet understand, it must happen by the winter solstice, only four days from now."

"That's the council day of the gods," Annabeth told them. "If the gods don't already know Hera's gone, they will definitely notice her absence by then. They'll probably break out fighting, accusing each other of taking her. That's what they usually do."

Riss shook her head, "Don't remind me. They're like toddlers fighting over a toy."

"The winter solstice," Chiron spoke up, "is also the time of greatest darkness. The gods gather that day, as mortals always have, because there is strength in numbers. The solstice is a day when evil magic is strong. Ancient magic, older than the gods. It is a day when things…stir."

"Okay," Annabeth said, glaring at the centaur. "Thank you, Captain Sunshine." Riss snickered. If any other camper tried to talk to Chiron like that, they'd receive a hoof to the backside. "Whatever's going on, I agree with Rachel. Jason has been chosen to lead this quest, so—"

"Why hasn't he been claimed?" somebody yelled from the Ares cabin. "If he's so important—"

"He has been claimed," Chiron announced. "Long ago. Jason, give them a demonstration."

At first, Jason didn't seem to understand. He stepped forward nervously. Jason turned backwards to glance at Riss, who squeezed his hand before letting go and nodding encouragingly. She mimicked flipping a coin and recognition flashed in the blonde's eyes.

Jason reached into his pocket. His coin flashed in the air as it flipped, and when he caught it in his hand, he was holding a lance—a rod of gold about seven feet long, with a spear tip at one end.

The other demigods gasped. Rachel and Annabeth stepped back to avoid the point, which looked sharp as an ice pick.

"Wasn't that…" Annabeth hesitated. "I thought you had a sword."

"Um, it came up tails, I think," Jason said. "Same coin, long-range weapon form."

"Dude, I want one!" yelled somebody from Ares cabin.

"Better than Clarisse's electric spear, Lamer!" one of his brothers agreed.

"Electric," Jason murmured, like that was a good idea. "Back away."

Annabeth and Rachel got the message. Riss even jumped back slightly, not wanting to risk it. Jason raised his javelin, and thunder broke open the sky. Lightning arced down through the golden spear point and hit the campfire with the force of an artillery shell.

When the smoke cleared, and the ringing in their ears subsided, the entire camp sat frozen in shock, half blind, covered in ashes, staring at the place where the fire had been. Cinders rained down everywhere. A burning log had impaled itself a few inches from the sleeping kid Clovis, who hadn't even stirred.

Jason lowered his lance. "Um…sorry."

"That was so cool," Riss muttered lightly. "Much better than my earthquake trick."

Chiron brushed some burning coals out of his beard. He grimaced as if his worst fears had been confirmed. "A little overkill, perhaps, but you've made your point. And I believe we know who your father is."

"Jupiter," Jason said, remembering what Riss had told him in the canyon. "I mean Zeus. Lord of the Sky."

Riss smiled, almost…proud of him. Apparently, the rest of the camp wasn't so sure. Everything broke into chaos, with dozens of people asking questions until Annabeth raised her arms.

"Hold it!" she said. "How can he be the son of Zeus? The Big Three…their pact not to have mortal kids…how could we not have known about him sooner?"

Chiron didn't answer and Riss frowned before trying to play it off, "Remember, I have a ring that hides me from being sensed as a child of the Big Three." The green-eyed girl sent her blonde friend a look that clearly said 'drop it.'

"The important thing," Rachel intervened, "is that Jason's here now. He has a quest to fulfill, which means he will need his own prophecy."

She closed her eyes and swooned. Two campers rushed forward and caught her. A third ran to the side of the amphitheater and grabbed a bronze three-legged stool and Riss moved forward to grab Rachel's hands. They eased Rachel onto the stool in front of the ruined hearth. Without the fire, the night was dark, but green mist started swirling around Rachel's feet. When she opened her eyes, they were glowing. Emerald smoke issued from her mouth.

The voice that came out was raspy and ancient – the sound a snake would make if it could talk: " _Children of lightning and sea, beware the earth. The giants' revenge the seven shall birth. The forge and dove shall break the cage. And death unleash through Hera's rage_."

On the last word, Rachel collapsed but her helpers were waiting to catch her. Riss stepped away from her friend, after brushing her hair back. Rachel's helpers carried her away from the hearth and laid her in the corner to rest.

"Is that normal?" Piper asked. Then she realized she'd spoken into the silence, and everyone was looking at her. "I mean…does she spew green smoke a lot?"

"Gods, you're dense!" Drew sneered and Riss raised a hand, more than happy to drench the girl in water again. "She just issued a prophecy—Jason's prophecy to save Hera! Why don't you just—"

"Not everyone can be a _genius_ like you, Drew," Riss sneered back. "I mean, it's not like _you_ were the one that screamed and thought the green smoke was going to _eat_ you the first time you saw a prophecy…" At Drew's glare and quiet snickers around the campfire, Riss' smile stretched wider.

"Piper asked a fair question," Annabeth quickly said, knowing that Riss would start exposing _all_ of Drew's secrets if she wasn't stopped. How she knew them? The daughter of Athena had no idea. "Something about that prophecy definitely isn't normal. If breaking Hera's cage unleashes her rage and causes a bunch of death…why would we free her? It might be a trap, or—or maybe Hera will turn on her rescuers. She's never been kind to heroes."

"Least of all to children of the Big Three," Riss added, receiving nods from the campers. Hera had gotten Thalia hurt, who was a daughter of Zeus and Riss really didn't want to know why she was apparently so fond of a child of her husband and a mortal. "Especially not children who are her husband's."

Jason rose. "I don't have much choice. Hera took my memory. I need it back. Besides, we can't just not help the queen of the heavens if she's in trouble."

Nyssa, one of Hephaestus' daughters, stood up. "Maybe. But you should listen to Annabeth. Hera can be vengeful. She threw her own son – our dad – down a mountain just because he was ugly."

"Real ugly," snickered someone from Aphrodite.

"Shut up!" Nyssa growled.

Riss raised her brows, supporting Nyssa, "Okay, so what's the name of your stepfather again?" No one from the Aphrodite cabin spoke, preferring not to mention that, technically, their step-father was the very god they were being horrible about. "Oh, right. Step-daddy isn't good enough to be spoken about."

The daughter of Hephaestus shot Riss an appreciative look, "Anyway, we've also got to think – why beware the earth? And what's the giants' revenge? What are we dealing with here that's powerful enough to kidnap the queen of the heavens?"

No one answered, but Piper noticed Annabeth, Riss and Chiron having a silent exchange. Piper thought it went something like:

 _Annabeth: The giants' revenge … no, it can't be._

 _Riss: If it is, we've already got one foot into Tartarus._

 _Chiron: Don't speak of it here. Don't scare them._

 _Annabeth: You're kidding me! We can't be that unlucky._

 _Riss: Exactly. Titans, now giants. Do we ever get a break!?_

 _Chiron: Later, children. If you told them everything, they would be too terrified to proceed._

 _Riss: Do you blame them? I mean, honestly…_

Piper knew it was crazy to think she could read their expressions so well – three people she barely knew. But she was absolutely positive she understood them, and it scared the jujubes out of her.

Annabeth took a deep breath. "It's Jason's quest," she announced, "so it's Jason's choice. Obviously, he's the child of lightning. According to tradition, he may choose any two companions."

" _Three_ companions," Riss stretched casually. "I've never been one for tradition."

Chiron shot Riss a look that said 'that's a bad idea' at what she implied, one she returned with a look that said 'tell them the truth and I'll sit down.' After a few moments of intense staring, Chiron dropped his head.

Someone from the Hermes cabin, one of the Stoll brothers, yelled, "Well, you, obviously, Annabeth. You've got the most experience."

"No, Travis," Annabeth said. "First off, I'm not helping Hera. Every time I've tried, she's deceived me, or it's come back to bite me later. Forget it. No way. Secondly, I'm leaving first thing in the morning to find Percy."

"I'll come with you," Riss immediately offered but Annabeth shook her head.

" _Children_ of lightning and _sea_ ," the daughter of wisdom reminded her, "If there's gonna be three companions, I only know one daughter of Poseidon."

Nerissa's shoulders slumped and she nodded, knowing her best friend was right.

"It's connected," Piper blurted out, not sure how she got the courage. "You know that's true, don't you? This whole business, your boyfriend's disappearance – it's all connected."

"How?" demanded Drew. "If you're so smart, how?" Piper tried to form an answer, but she couldn't.

"Well, at least she has more than a _single_ _thought_ in her head," Riss bit back.

Annabeth saved Piper as well. "You may be right, Piper. If this is connected, I'll find out from the other end – by searching for Percy. As I said, I'm not about to rush off to rescue Hera, even if her disappearance sets the rest of the Olympians fighting again. But there's another reason I can't go. The prophecy says otherwise."

"It says who I pick," Jason agreed. "The forge and dove shall break the cage. The forge is the symbol of Vul—Hephaestus."

Under the Cabin Nine banner, Nyssa's shoulders slumped, like she'd just been given a heavy anvil to carry. "If you have to beware the earth," she said, "you should avoid traveling overland. You'll need air transport."

"The flying chariot's broken," Nyssa continued, "and the pegasi, we're using them to search for Percy. But maybe Hephaestus cabin can help figure out something else to help. With Jake incapacitated, I'm senior camper. I can volunteer for the quest." She didn't sound enthusiastic.

Then Leo stood up. He'd been so quiet, Piper had almost forgotten he was there, which was totally not like Leo.

"It's me," he said.

His cabin-mates stirred. Several tried to pull him back to his seat, but Leo resisted. "No, it's me. I know it is. I've got an idea for the transportation problem. Let me try. I can fix this!"

Jason studied him for a moment. Then he smiled. "We started this together, Leo. Seems only right you come along. You find us a ride, you're in."

"Yes!" Leo pumped his fist.

"It'll be dangerous," Nyssa warned him. "Hardship, monsters, terrible suffering. Possibly none of you will come back alive."

"Oh." Suddenly Leo didn't look so excited. Then he remembered everyone was watching. "I mean … Oh, cool! Suffering? I love suffering! Let's do this."

Riss snickered at her friend's lame attempt of enthusiasm.

Annabeth nodded. "Then, Jason, you only need to choose the fourth quest member – if Riss is going. The dove—"

"Oh, absolutely!" Drew was on her feet and flashing Jason a smile. "The dove is Aphrodite. Everybody knows that. I am totally yours."

" _No_."

Drew rolled her eyes at Riss. "What do you mean 'no'?"

" _No_ , you bimbo," Riss reiterated, glaring. "Or do you not understand English now?"

 **XXXXX**

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 **I am so sorry for not updating sooner!**

 **But I hope that you like this chapter. Riss is a sarcastic little shit and she's getting closer to Jason...oooh. Next chapter, we have a girl who's going to sass the crap out of a dumb daughter of Aphrodite.**

 **I would appreciate** **5 REVIEWS** **for the next chapter!**

 **Thanks for reading and please review, favorite and follow**

 **~ Raven**


	6. ZETA

_**ZETA | HAPPY IS A DRAGON: LATIN TRANSLATION IS REQUIRED**_

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Heroes of Olympus series or any of the characters. I only own the character Nerissa Jackson and her original plot lines and dialogue.**

* * *

" _No_ as in _no_. N-o." Riss repeated dully, as Drew kept blinking blankly at the daughter of Poseidon. She didn't know _yet_ who the dove was but she knew it wasn't Drew. The daughter of Aphrodite was too dense, too easily threatened and Riss could see Drew easily giving in to persuasion to ditch her 'teammates.'

Nerissa was genuinely disgusted by Drew, feeling that the Aphrodite Cabin had gone to shit after Silena's death. Silena had been strong and kind and beautiful all at once, looking for the beauty on the _inside_ , not the outside. Drew really gave nothing to the Camp and soiled Silena's memory.

Drew turned to Jason. "Look, fighting is all fine, I suppose. Controlling puddles. And people who build things…" She looked at Leo in disdain and Riss bristled. _Puddles_ , a hellhound's ass, she did more than control _puddles_. "Well, I suppose someone has to get their hands dirty. But you need charm on your side. I can be very persuasive. I could help a lot."

The campers started murmuring about how Drew _was_ pretty persuasive. Piper could see Drew winning them over. Even Chiron was scratching his beard, like Drew's participation suddenly made sense to him. Only Riss was shaking her head adamantly.

"Well…" Annabeth said. "Given the wording of the prophecy—"

"No!" Piper's own voice sounded strange in her ears – more insistent, richer in tone. "I'm supposed to go."

Then the weirdest thing happened. Everyone started nodding, muttering that Piper's point of view made sense too. Drew looked around, incredulous. Even some of her own campers were nodding.

"Get over it!" Drew snapped at the crowd. "What can Piper do?"

Piper tried to respond, but her confidence started to wane. What could she offer? She wasn't a fighter, or a planner, or a fixer. She had no skills except getting into trouble and occasionally convincing people to do stupid things.

"Well," Drew said smugly, "I guess that settles it."

Suddenly there was collective gasp. Everyone stared at Piper like she'd just exploded. She wondered what she'd done wrong. Then she realized there was a reddish glow around her. She looked above her, but there was no burning symbol like the one that appeared over Leo. Then she looked down and yelped.

Her clothes…what in the world was she wearing? Piper despised dresses. She didn't own a dress. But now she was adorned in a beautiful white sleeveless gown that went down to her ankles, with a V-neck so low it was totally embarrassing. Delicate gold armbands circled her biceps. An intricate necklace of amber, coral, and gold flowers glittered on her chest, and her hair…

"Oh, god," Piper gaped. "What's happened?"

At Annabeth's indication, the girl drew her dagger from the cord on her waist and looked at herself. Her hair was perfect: lush and long and chocolate brown, braided with gold ribbons down one side so it fell across her shoulder. She even wore makeup – subtle touches that made her lips cherry red and brought out all the different colors in her eyes.

"You look beautiful," Riss complimented, smiling at her.

Drew's face was full of horror and revulsion, even as everyone stared at Piper in awe. "No!" she cried. "Not possible!"

"This isn't me," Piper protested. "I—don't understand."

Chiron the centaur folded his front legs and bowed to her, and all the campers followed his example.

Riss' eyes glowed, " _All hail, Piper McLean, daughter of Aphrodite_."

"Lady of the doves, goddess of love," Chiron continued gravely.

The black-haired girl stumbled, coming out of the trance she was in and was caught by Jason, who, even though Piper looked like a knock-out, didn't take his eyes off Riss. Piper felt a tightness in her chest but couldn't help but just stare at the people bowing around her.

 **XXXXX**

"Three," Chiron ranted, his hooves clopping across the floor of Cabin Three. "The number is _three_. Why is it, that neither you nor your brother can understand that concept?"

Annabeth and Chiron were in the Poseidon cabin, watching as Riss packed in silence. Finally she spoke, "' _And death unleash through Hera's rage_.' It says a child of the sea, which can only be me and I just thought…"

She trailed off and Annabeth prompted, "What?"

Riss looked up, lips pursed. "I just thought, that out of the three…if one of us was going to die…then why not the one who ruins the sacred three?"

"You," Chiron realised, aged eyes wide. "If someone was to die, you would try to make it you."

The green-eyed girl nodded slowly and Chiron couldn't help but be in admiration of her. Throughout the centuries, and all the heroes he'd trained, very few had been willing to welcome Death with open arms. And yet, here was a sixteen-year-old who saw it as a very real possibility and was prepared to lay down her life to save three others. Riss didn't see herself as a hero and she was certainly _not_ suicidal but Nerissa Jackson was the type of selfless that everyone worried would get themselves killed.

"They're too young, too inexperienced," the sea-green-eyed girl insisted. She didn't have a suicidal streak in her at all but Riss knew that she offered the least, to the quest _and_ Camp Half-Blood, given that her brother was basically a carbon-copy of her, complete with sarcastic comments and all. "I can _save_ them."

Annabeth pulled Nerissa into a hug, "Percy is missing. I can't lose you too. I refuse to. So don't be a hero…just be… _Riss_. Come back home."

Riss nodded, but made no promises and watched quietly as Annabeth left the cabin. Chiron looked pointedly at Riss, "You didn't swear on the River Styx."

"I can't make that promise," Riss confessed sadly. She couldn't promise that she'd come home, not with the threats they faced and certainly not with Percy missing. "I don't think I'd ever be able to."

The old centaur nodded in understanding and placed a hand on Riss' shoulder. The girl looked up at him with large, sea-green eyes filled with pain and sadness. "Try to come home." Riss nodded and the centaur left her to her packing.

Sighing, Riss flopped down onto her bed. Gods, she was scared. But Zoë Nightshade had died to protect the people she cared about, had died because of _Riss_ ' foolishness. Bianca di Angelo had died too, Riss' fault again. Or at least, that was how she saw it.

If only she and Percy had listened! There had been too many on the quest and the Jacksons had chosen to tag along to find Annabeth. There had always been a loophole for the Jackson twins, something that they had found out on their first quest. Both Riss and Percy could go on a quest _together_ and would only be seen as one person by whatever entity demanded only three on a quest.

To go after Zeus' Master Bolt, Riss, Percy, Annabeth and Grover had gone and Annabeth was worried they'd be struck down the entire time. The Jackson girl was grateful that they hadn't and they had both been able to go, she and her brother were hardly ever apart from each other, and it had been what had finally convinced Riss to sneakily follow the quest with Percy to try and find Annabeth and save her from Atlas.

They were twins – the other halves of each other – and Percy often joked they shared a brain, which was why the Jackson twins sometimes did crazy, stupid shit to protect other people and get the job done in the end.

Percy was prepared to jump off a cliff to find Annabeth after all and had faced off against giant, metal robots and reanimated skeletons to get his beloved Annabeth Chase back.

Riss didn't regret it, finding Annabeth, but she did regret how Bianca and Zoë had died. Now, she could fix _this_ quest. The prophecy demanded four and she could hopefully 'decide' who would die on this quest.

The Jackson girl got up and finally began her packing. It was going to be a long night of restless sleep and worried dreams.

 **XXXXX**

Riss had gotten up early, spent the morning with Annabeth and had met up with Jason. She knew she probably should have stayed in bed but Annabeth gave some advice to her and Jason.

And then Jason had thrown a curveball at the pair.

Grace. His name was Jason _Grace_ and he was Thalia's brother. That had really sent Riss spinning but now they were heading out because Butch had warned them about the dragon arriving at the camp – with Leo on it. The dragon had been terrorizing the Hephaestus cabin for weeks and they had all become increasingly annoyed at it.

"That thing is dangerous!" An Ares girl shouted, brandishing her spear. "Kill it now!"

"Stand down!"

Piper turned to see it was Jason and Riss. Desperately, she tried to squash the jealousy, realising, that Jason and Riss were almost connected at the hip. The only time he'd been alone with Piper was when he formally invited her on the quest after the campfire but even then, he'd barely looked at her and was as polite as usual. Jason pushed through the crowd, flanked by Annabeth and Nyssa, Riss directly by his side.

"Leo," Riss breathed, green eyes wide. "You are my most favourite person in the universe right now. The sky is usually bad enough but this has made it cool."

Jason gazed up at the dragon and shook his head in amazement. "Leo, what have you done?"

"Found a ride!" Leo beamed. "You said I could go on the quest if I got you a ride. Well, I got you a class-A metallic flying bad boy! Festus can take us anywhere!"

"It—has wings," Nyssa stammered. Her jaw looked like it might drop off her face.

"Yeah!" Leo said. "I found them and reattached them."

"But it never had wings. Where did you find them?"

Leo hesitated, "In…the woods. Repaired his circuits, too, mostly, so no more problems with him going haywire."

"Mostly?" Nyssa asked.

The dragon's head twitched. It tilted to one side and a stream of black liquid—maybe oil, hopefully just oil—poured out of its ear, all over Leo.

"Just a few kinks to work out," Leo said.

"But how did you survive…?" Nyssa was still staring at the creature in awe. "I mean, the fire breath…"

"I'm quick," Leo said. "And lucky. Now, am I on this quest, or what?"

Jason scratched his head. "You named him Festus? You know that in Latin, 'festus' means 'happy'? You want us to ride off to save the world on Happy the Dragon?"

The dragon twitched and shuddered and flapped his wings.

"That's a yes, bro!" Leo chirped. "Now, um, I'd really suggest we get going, guys. I already picked up some supplies in the – um, in the woods. And all these people with weapons are making Festus nervous."

Jason frowned. "But we haven't planned anything yet. We can't just—"

"Go," Annabeth said. She was the only one who didn't look nervous at all. Her expression was sad and wistful, like this reminded her of better times. "Jason, you've only got three days until the solstice now, and you should never keep a nervous dragon waiting. This is certainly a good omen. Go!"

Jason looked to Riss, who shrugged, "Sounds good to me."

"You ready to go, partner," the blonde boy asked Piper with a smile.

Piper stared at Festus, "You bet."

The three got onto Festus behind Leo, who'd already gotten on. Riss mock-saluted Annabeth, who yelled, "Try not to get blasted out of the sky!"

"Not feeling very supported, Annie!"

Piper raised a brow at Riss, "What does she mean?"

The green-eyed girl gulped, replying quickly all in one breath, "Zeus and Poseidon have a rivalry and Zeus might decide to blast us out of the sky because I'm here. Okay, any more questions? No? Great, let's go."

The other three looked at Riss, wide-eyed, who shifted awkwardly before they took off into the sky aboard Happy the Dragon.

 **XXXXX**

Riss had to admit, flying wasn't the _worst_ thing ever.

But she wasn't doing it again anytime soon. Jason was right behind her and somehow, that made her feel a little bit safer. Piper was in front of them, closest to Leo, who directed Festus through the air.

"Cool, right?" Leo asked while steering Festus.

Riss finally loosened her grip on Fetus' back and Jason's arm, reaching forward to high-five Leo. "Still makes me scared shitless but yeah… _cool_."

"What if we get spotted?" Piper asked.

"The Mist," Jason said. "It keeps mortals from seeing magic things. If they spot us, they'll probably mistake us for a small plane or something."

Piper glanced over her shoulder. "You sure about that?"

"No," he admitted.

"Reasonably," Nerissa said at the same time. "The Mist is a fickle thing."

Piper saw that Jason was clutching a photo in his hand – a picture of a girl with dark hair. She gave Jason a quizzical look, but he blushed and put the photo in his pocket.

"We're making good time. Probably get there by tonight."

Riss smiled, glad that he had one aspect of his life he could remember – or at least have a little faith in.

Piper asked, "Where are we heading?"

"To find the god of the North Wind," Jason said. "And chase some storm spirits."

Riss piped up, being as positive as usual, "And hopefully not die on the way!"

 **XXXXX**

"Shut up, me," Leo said aloud, causing Riss to snap out of her thoughts about Percy and look at him in confusion.

"What?" Piper asked.

"Nothing," he said. "Long night. I think I'm hallucinating. It's cool."

Sitting in front, Leo couldn't see their faces, but he assumed from their silence that his friends were not pleased to have a sleepless, hallucinating dragon driver. Riss however, shrugged, she'd functioned on less and had somewhat-promising results.

"Just joking." Leo decided it might be good to change the subject. "So what's the plan, bro? You said something about catching wind, or breaking wind, or something?"

As they flew over New England, Jason laid out the game plan: First, find some guy named Boreas and grill him for information—

"His name is Boreas?" Leo had to ask. "What is he, the God of Boring?"

Second, Jason continued, they had to find those _venti_ that had attacked them at the Grand Canyon – "Can we just call them storm spirits?" Leo asked. " _Venti_ makes them sound like evil espresso drinks."

"And they're Greek names is longer too," Riss agreed.

And third, Jason finished, they had to find out who the storm spirits worked for, so they could find Hera and free her.

"So you want to look for Dylan, the nasty storm dude, on purpose," Leo said. "The guy who threw me off the skywalk and sucked Coach Hedge into the clouds."

Riss sighed quietly, "Quests are always difficult. I just want _one_ quest, where I don't almost die. Maybe we should go to Maine, I heard it's nice this time of year."

"That's about it," Jason said. "Well…there may be a wolf involved, too. But I think she's friendly. She probably won't eat us, unless we show weakness."

Jason told them about his dream—the big nasty mother wolf and a burned-out house with stone spires growing out of the swimming pool.

"Uh-huh," Leo said. "But you don't know where this place is."

"Nope," Jason admitted.

Riss laughed dryly, "Reassuring."

"There's also giants," Piper added. "The prophecy said the giants' revenge."

"Hold on," Leo said. "Giants – like more than one? Why can't it be just one giant who wants revenge?"

"I don't think so," Piper said. "I remember in some of the old Greek stories, there was something about an army of giants."

The green-eyed girl pursed her lips, "I can't really remember. But I think there was an old story of a giant who kidnapped Hera. Maybe it's him?"

"Great," Leo muttered. "Of course, with our luck, it's an army. So you know anything else about these giants? Didn't you do a bunch of myth research for that movie with your dad?"

"Your dad's an actor?" Jason asked.

Leo laughed. "I keep forgetting about your amnesia. Heh. Forgetting about amnesia. That's funny. But yeah, her dad's Tristan McLean."

"No way," Riss chuckled, even though Riss and Piper had been friends, Piper hadn't told Riss her father's name, just that he was an actor. "Drew's gonna pop a blood-vessel!"

"Uh—sorry, what was he in?"

"It doesn't matter," Piper said quickly, waving off Jason's question. "The giants – well, there were lots of giants in Greek mythology. But if I'm thinking of the right ones, they were bad news. Huge, almost impossible to kill. They could throw mountains and stuff. I think they were related to the Titans. They rose from the earth after Kronos lost the war—"

"The first one, thousands of years ago, not the recent one," Riss clarified.

"Right, and they tried to destroy Olympus. If we're talking about the same giants—"

"Chiron said it was happening again," Jason remembered. "The last chapter. That's what he meant. No wonder he didn't want us to know all the details."

Leo whistled. "So … giants who can throw mountains. Friendly wolves that will eat us if we show weakness. Evil espresso drinks. Gotcha. Maybe this isn't the time to bring up my psycho babysitter."

"Is that another joke?" Piper asked.

Leo told them about Tía Callida, who was really Hera, and how she'd appeared to him at camp. He didn't tell them about his fire abilities. That was still a touchy subject, especially after Nyssa had told him fire demigods tended to destroy cities and stuff. Besides, then Leo would have to get into how he'd caused his mom's death, and…No. He wasn't ready to go there. He did manage to tell about the night she died, not mentioning the fire, just saying the machine shop collapsed. It was easier without having to look at his friends, just keeping his eyes straight ahead as they flew.

And he told them about the strange woman in earthen robes who seemed to be asleep, and seemed to know the future. Leo estimated the whole state of Massachusetts passed below them before his friends spoke.

"That's…disturbing," Piper said.

Riss reached forward to squeeze Leo's shoulder in comfort, knowing better than to use the usual 'I'm sorry' or 'It wasn't your fault.' It really didn't make anyone feel better.

"'Bout sums it up," Leo agreed. "Thing is, everybody says don't trust Hera. She hates demigods. And the prophecy said we'd cause death if we unleash her rage. So I'm wondering…why are we doing this?"

"That's what I'm thinking."

"She chose us," Jason said. "All _four_ of us, even though it's only supposed to be three on a quest. We're the first of the eight who have to gather for the Great Prophecy. This quest is the beginning of something much bigger."

"Oh, that's guaranteed," Riss acknowledged, the demigods watching her closely. "I don't just spout godly parents, that'd be boring. I've already predicted that Annabeth, Percy and I are part of the eight of the Great Prophecy – Percy and I count as one camper." The other three shot her looks and she flicked her fingers, "Don't ask. Anyway, you're the next three. Wherever Percy is…there's a possibility he'll find the other two."

"Besides," Jason continued after a moment of silence, just staring at the Jackson girl, "helping Hera is the only way I can get back my memory. And that dark spire in my dream seemed to be feeding on Hera's energy. If that thing unleashes a king of the giants by destroying Hera—"

"Not a good trade-off," Piper agreed. "At least Hera is on our side – mostly. Losing her would throw the gods into chaos. She's the main one who keeps peace in the family. And a war with the giants could be even more destructive than the Titan War."

Jason nodded. "Chiron also talked about worse forces stirring on the solstice, with it being a good time for dark magic, and all – something that could awaken if Hera were sacrificed on that day. And this mistress who's controlling the storm spirits, the one who wants to kill all the demigods—"

"Might be that weird sleeping lady," Leo finished. "Dirt Woman fully awake? Not something I want to see."

"But who is she?" Jason asked. "And what does she have to do with giants?"

They were all good questions, Riss had to admit, but none of them had the answers. They flew in silence and Riss couldn't help but feel _useless_ – her powers were waning and usually, she knew what was going on, but this time, Riss was walking into this quest blind.

Festus kept flying. The wind got colder, and below them snowy forests seemed to go on forever. Leo didn't know exactly where Quebec was. Leo had told Festus to take them to the palace of Boreas, and Festus kept going north. Hopefully, the dragon knew the way, and they wouldn't end up at the North Pole.

"Why don't you get some sleep?" Piper whispered in Leo's ear. "You were up all night."

Leo wanted to protest, but the word sleep sounded really good. "You won't let me fall off?"

Piper patted his shoulder. "Trust me, Valdez. Beautiful people never lie."

"Right," he muttered. He leant forward against the warm bronze of the dragon's neck, and closed his eyes.

Piper glanced behind her, seeing Riss already asleep against Jason's chest. Jason had his face buried in Riss' neck, holding her close to him. The Cherokee girl sighed quietly, Riss and Jason were so _in sync_ and she couldn't find it within her to be horrible to either of them. It was still a mystery, to all of them, why Nerissa Jackson and Jason No-Last-Name seemed so connected even though they truly didn't know each other. Riss shifted slightly, Jason immediately moving to accommodate to the stirring green-eyed girl, ensuring that she was more comfortable. The brunette turned her back on the sleeping pair, looking back out to where they were headed.

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **Thank you, everyone, for the support this story is getting! I really appreciate it.**

 **I just realised that this chapter was a helluva lot shorter than I hoped it would be. Sorry!**

 **So, this chapter is a teensy bit dark, in terms of Riss being willing to do anything to get the others back to Camp Half-Blood. That's a bit of foreshadowing, actually. And Jason and Riss are getting closer, OOH. Piper's jealous at the moment but I'm not going to make her a bitch or anything - eventually she's going to be the head cheerleaders supporting their relationship...so to speak.**

 **5 REVIEWS PLEASE FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

 **~ Raven**


	7. ETA

_**ETA | THE GLOWING HOTEL OF DOOM, ENJOY YOUR STAY**_

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Heroes of Olympus series or any of the characters. I only own the character Nerissa Jackson and her original plot lines and dialogue.**

* * *

 **THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO** ** _lightwalnut64_** **,** ** _Broder4545_** **,** ** _NicoleR85_** **,** ** _piperw142_** **,** ** _yasminasfeir1_** **AND** ** _Arianna Le Fay_** **FOR THE AMAZING REVIEWS! THANK YOU SO MUCH!**

 **ALSO, THANK YOU SO MUCH,** ** _Arianna Le Fay_** **,** **FOR GIVING ME INSPIRATION. IT MAY TAKE A BIT LONGER FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER AS I'M GOING TO REWRITE MY CHAPTER AND INCLUDE THE GODS AND THEM WATCHING OVER THE DEMIGODS ON THE QUEST!**

* * *

 _ **Arianna Le Fay**_ **: No, Riss is not Roman, but there will be a further explanation as to why she's so Romanesque and so connected to Jason. Thanks for the question!**

 ** _yasminasfeir1_** **: No, it's not just coincidence that Riss speaks Latin. Keep reading to find out!**

* * *

"We're here." Leo struggled up as Piper shook him awake.

Jason and Riss were already awake, the Jackson girl apparently grumbling about being woken up so early and was tracing her fingers over the line etched into her skin of her face. Piper started slightly at seeing it. Riss was stunning, inside and out, and not a single physical imperfection was going to change that, let alone a scar. The daughter of Aphrodite was a firm believer in that but Riss was pale and her hair had been pinned back into a bun, revealing the stark scar that ran from her right temple to her just under her cheekbone. Piper and Leo had to admit, throughout the entire, Mist-manipulated time at the Wilderness School, they hadn't noticed the clean scar across Riss' face.

Riss had gotten the scar during a quest, in the Junkyard of the Gods. She'd been thrown by the giant bronze automaton, Talos, roughly hitting the side of her head against a rusted blade. Infection had almost killed her but even years later, the black-haired girl couldn't forgive herself for the few moments she'd been unconscious – the few moments that had allowed Bianca di Angelo to sacrifice herself to save them all.

"Tell me that's Quebec and not Santa's workshop," Leo's voice forced Riss out of her stupor.

"Yeah, Quebec City," Piper confirmed. "One of the oldest cities in North America. Founded around sixteen hundred or so?"

Leo raised an eyebrow. "Your dad do a movie about that too?"

Piper made a face at him, but it didn't quite work the same with her new glamorous makeup. "I read sometimes, okay? Just because Aphrodite claimed me, doesn't mean I have to be an airhead."

Riss chuckled, "Don't insult Piper's intelligence, Leo. She can convince you to give Festus to her and you wouldn't have any say about it."

"Feisty!" Leo joked. "So you know so much, what's that castle?"

"A hotel, I think."

Leo laughed. "No way."

The grand entrance was bustling with doormen, valets, and porters taking bags. Sleek black luxury cars idled in the drive. People in elegant suits and winter cloaks hurried to get out of the cold.

"The North Wind is staying in a hotel?" Leo said. "That can't be—"

"Heads up, guys," Jason interrupted. "We got company!"

All four demigods looked down. Rising from the top of the tower were two winged figures – angry angels, with nasty-looking swords.

"Seriously!? Why can't angels just be _angels_? I just want one angel who wears a trench-coat!"

 **XXXXX**

Festus swooped to a halt in midair, wings beating and talons bared, and made a rumbling sound in his throat that Leo recognized. He was getting ready to blow fire.

"Steady, boy," Leo muttered. Something told him the angels would not take kindly to getting torched.

"I don't like this," Jason said. "They look like storm spirits."

At first Leo thought he was right, but as the angels got closer, he could see they were much more solid than venti. They looked like regular teenagers except for their icy white hair and feathery purple wings. Their bronze swords were jagged, like icicles. Their faces looked similar enough that they might've been brothers, but they definitely weren't twins.

"Well," Riss mused, "They might not be storm spirits, but I'm pretty sure they won't be friendly."

One was the size of an ox, with a bright red hockey jersey, baggy sweatpants, and black leather cleats. The guy clearly had been in too many fights, because both his eyes were black, and when he bared his teeth, several of them were missing. Riss frowned at that, questioning what he could have possibly been hit in the face with.

The other guy looked like he'd just stepped off one of 1980s rock album covers to Piper —Journey, maybe, or Hall & Oates, or something even lamer. His ice-white hair was long and feathered into a mullet. He wore pointy-toed leather shoes, designer pants that were way too tight, and a god-awful silk shirt with the top three buttons open. Maybe he thought he looked like a groovy love god, but the guy couldn't have weighed more than ninety pounds, and he had a bad case of acne.

The angels pulled up in front of the dragon and hovered there, swords at the ready. The hockey ox grunted. "No clearance."

"'Scuse me?" Leo asked, sounding insulted.

"You have no flight plan on file," explained the groovy love god. On top of his other problems, he had a French accent so bad that Riss actually winced. "This is restricted airspace."

"Destroy them?" The ox showed off his gap-toothed grin.

The dragon began to hiss steam, ready to defend them. Jason summoned his golden sword, but Leo cried, "Hold on! Let's have some manners here, boys. Can I at least find out who has the honor of destroying me?"

"I am Cal!" the ox grunted. He looked very proud of himself, like he'd taken a long time to memorize that sentence.

"That's short for Calais," the love god said. "Sadly, my brother cannot say words with more than two syllables—"

Riss frowned at him, blinking slowly. She wasn't sure if he wasn't sure if that was because of – what she assumed was – his head injuries.

"Pizza! Hockey! Destroy!" Cal offered.

"—which includes his own name," the love god finished.

"I am Cal," Cal repeated. "And this is Zethes! My brother!"

"Wow," Leo said. "That was almost three sentences, man! Way to go."

Cal grunted, obviously pleased with himself and Riss stifled a laugh at Leo's sarcasm.

"Stupid buffoon," his brother grumbled. "They make fun of you. But no matter. I am Zethes, which is short for Zethes. And the ladies there—" He winked at Piper and Nerissa, but the wink was more like a facial seizure. "They can call me anything they likes. Perhaps they would like to have dinner with a famous demigod before we must destroy you?"

Piper made a sound like gagging on a cough drop. "That's…a truly horrifying offer."

"And we have _no_ trouble saying…maybe another time," Riss finished, hoping that she wouldn't insult Zethes and cause their deaths to come sooner.

The Jackson girl was admittedly confused. She had a scar on her face, was wearing a boring leather jacket and jeans and was sitting behind _Piper_. Piper looked as stunning as her mother and Riss thought that Zethes desperately wanted a date if he was flirting with Piper as well as her, instead of just flirting with the daughter of Aphrodite. Riss didn't see herself as beautiful, not even reasonably pretty and she was a modest girl.

"It is no problem." Zethes wiggled his eyebrows. "We are a very romantic people, we Boreads."

"Boreads?" Jason cut in. "Do you mean, like, the sons of Boreas?"

"Ah, so you've heard of us!" Zethes looked pleased. "We are our father's gatekeepers. So you understand, we cannot have unauthorized people flying in his airspace on creaky dragons, scaring the silly mortal peoples."

He pointed below, and Leo saw that the mortals were starting to take notice. Several were pointing up – not with alarm, yet – more with confusion and annoyance, like the dragon was a traffic helicopter flying too low.

"Which is sadly why, unless this is an emergency landing," Zethes said, brushing his hair out of his acne-covered face, "we will have to destroy you painfully."

"Destroy!" Cal agreed, with a little more enthusiasm than Leo thought necessary.

"Wait!" Piper said. "This is an emergency landing."

"Awww!" Cal looked so disappointed, Leo almost felt sorry for him.

Zethes studied Piper, which of course he'd already been doing. "How does the pretty girl decide this is an emergency, then?"

"We have to see Boreas. It's totally urgent! Please?" She forced a smile, which Leo figured must've been killing her; but she still had that blessing of Aphrodite thing going on, and she looked great. Something about her voice, too – the demigods found themselves believing every word. Jason was nodding quickly, looking absolutely – almost too – convinced, until Riss nudged him with her elbow. The boy stopped immediately, smiling sheepishly at Riss.

Zethes picked at his silk shirt, probably making sure it was still open wide enough. "Well…I hate to disappoint two lovely ladies, but you see, my sister, she would have an avalanche if we allowed you—"

"And our dragon is malfunctioning!" Piper added. "It could crash any minute!"

Festus shuddered helpfully, then turned his head and spilled gunk out of his ear, splattering a black Mercedes in the parking lot below.

"No destroy?" Cal whimpered.

Zethes pondered the problem. Then he gave Piper another spasmodic wink. "Well, you are pretty. I mean, you're right. A malfunctioning dragon—this could be an emergency."

"Destroy them later?" Cal offered, which was probably as close to friendly as he ever got.

"It will take some explaining," Zethes decided. "Father has not been kind to visitors lately. But, yes. Come, faulty dragon people. Follow us."

The Boreads sheathed their swords and pulled smaller weapons from their belts—or at least Leo thought they were weapons. Then the Boreads switched them on, and Leo realized they were flashlights with orange cones, like the ones traffic controller guys use on a runway. Cal and Zethes turned and swooped toward the hotel's tower.

Leo turned to his friends. "I love these guys. Follow them?"

Jason and Piper didn't look eager. Nerissa shrugged noncommittally.

"I guess," Jason decided. "We're here now. But I wonder why Boreas hasn't been kind to visitors."

"Pfft, he just hasn't met us." Leo whistled. "Festus, after those flashlights!"

Riss smirked, "Yeah, he'll probably have a nervous breakdown after he's had the _pleasure_ of meeting us."

 **XXXXX**

As they got closer, Leo worried they'd crash into the tower. Riss had muttered quietly to the others not to tell anyone her name – not many gods and goddesses were nice to the Jacksons. Her friends had quickly agreed, settling on Sally Scott as an alias. She only used it occasionally but Riss had a _really_ bad feeling about Quebec.

The Boreads made right for the green-gabled peak and didn't slow down. Then a section of the slanted roof slid open, revealing an entrance easily wide enough for Festus. The top and bottom were lined with icicles like jagged teeth.

"This cannot be good," Jason muttered, but Leo spurred the dragon downward, and they swooped in after the Boreads.

They landed in what must have been the penthouse suite; but the place had been hit by a flash freeze. The entry hall had vaulted ceilings forty feet high, huge draped windows, and lush oriental carpets. A staircase at the back of the room led up to another equally massive hall, and more corridors branched off to the left and right. But the ice made the room's beauty a little frightening. When Leo slid off the dragon, the carpet crunched under his feet. A fine layer of frost covered the furniture. The curtains didn't budge because they were frozen solid, and the ice-coated windows let in weird watery light from the sunset. Even the ceiling was furry with icicles. As for the stairs, Leo was sure he'd slip and break his neck if he tried to climb them.

"Guys," Leo said, "fix the thermostat in here, and I would totally move in."

"Not me." Jason looked uneasily at the staircase. "Something feels wrong. Something up there…"

"A person," Riss commented blankly, fingers drifting to the chain around her neck.

Festus shuddered and snorted flames. Frost started to form on his scales.

"No, no, no." Zethes marched over, though how he could walk in those pointy leather shoes, none of them had any idea. "The dragon must be deactivated. We can't have fire in here. The heat ruins my hair."

"Oh, that'd be a _real_ shame," Nerissa said dryly, patting Fetus' nose, who growled in agreement and spun his drill-bit teeth.

"'S'okay, boy." Leo turned to Zethes. "The dragon's a little touchy about the whole deactivation concept. But I've got a better solution."

"Destroy?" Cal suggested.

"No, man. You gotta stop with the destroy talk. Just wait."

"Leo," Piper said nervously, "what are you—"

"Watch and learn, beauty queen. When I was repairing Festus last night, I found all kinds of buttons. Some, you do not want to know what they do. But others…Ah, here we go."

Leo hooked his fingers behind the dragon's left foreleg, indicating for Riss to step back. When the green-eyed girl did, he pulled a switch, and the dragon shuddered from head to toe. Everyone backed away further as Festus folded like origami. His bronze plating stacked together. His neck and tail contracted into his body. His wings collapsed and his trunk compacted until he was a rectangular metal wedge the size of a suitcase.

Leo tried to lift it, but the thing weighed about six billion pounds. "Um…yeah. Hold on. I think— _aha_." He pushed another button. A handle flipped up on the top, and wheels clicked out on the bottom.

"Ta-da!" he announced. "The world's heaviest carry-on bag!"

Nerissa smiled, "Leo, you are such a gift to the world." Leo sent Riss a large smile, she was always so supportive of him and his mechanical endeavors.

"That's impossible," Jason said. "Something that big couldn't—"

"Stop!" Zethes ordered. He and Cal both drew their swords and glared at Leo.

Leo raised his hands. "Okay…what'd I do? Stay calm, guys. If it bothers you that much, I don't have to take the dragon as carry-on—"

"Who are you?" Zethes shoved the point of his sword against Leo's chest. "A child of the South Wind, spying on us?"

Riss was in front of Leo in a second, a small knife that came out of nowhere pushing the sword away, "Yo, back up, puck-head."

"What? No!" Leo denied. "Son of Hephaestus. Friendly blacksmith, no harm to anyone!"

Cal growled. He put his face up to Leo's, and he definitely wasn't any prettier at point-blank, with his bruised eyes and bashed-in mouth. The bruised demigod was pushed back by Riss again.

"Smell fire," he said. "Fire is bad."

"Oh." Leo's heart raced. "Yeah, well…my clothes are kind of singed, and I've been working with oil, and—"

"No!" Zethes pushed Leo back at sword point. "We can smell fire, demigod. We assumed it was from the creaky dragon, but now the dragon is a suitcase. And I still smell fire…on you."

If it hadn't been like three degrees in the penthouse, Leo would've started sweating. "Hey…look…I don't know—" He glanced at his friends desperately. "Guys, a little help?"

Jason already had his gold coin in his hand. He stepped forward, his eyes on Zethes. "Look, there's been a mistake. Leo isn't a fire guy. Tell them, Leo. Tell them you're not a fire guy."

"Um …"

"Zethes?" Piper tried her dazzling smile again, though she looked a little too nervous and cold to pull it off. "We're all friends here. Put down your swords and let's talk."

"The girl is pretty," Zethes admitted, "and of course she cannot help being attracted to my amazingness; but sadly, I cannot romance her at this time."

Riss cringed at that. Zethes poked his sword point farther into Riss' chest, standing in front of Leo, and she could feel the frost spreading across her shirt, turning her skin numb. With an annoyed sigh, Riss flicked her fingers, making the frost swirl off her. As a daughter of Poseidon, Nerissa had limited control over ice and it was most helpful at that moment.

Zethes looked slightly stunned at the small display of power and lowered the sword slightly. He wasn't the smartest but he knew he didn't want to incur his sister's wrath by telling her about another ice-manipulator in the house. He stayed silent, promising himself that he wouldn't breathe a word.

Leo wished he could reactivate Festus. He needed some backup. But it would've taken several minutes, even if he could reach the button, with two purple-winged crazy guys in his path. But the son of Hephaestus was really glad that he was friends with a badass named Nerissa Jackson.

"Destroy him now?" Cal asked his brother.

Zethes nodded. "Sadly, I think—"

"No," Jason insisted. He sounded calm enough, but Leo figured he was about two seconds away from flipping that coin and going into full gladiator mode. "Leo's just a son of Hephaestus. He's no threat. Piper here is a daughter of Aphrodite. _Sally_ is a…daughter of Athena." That didn't really connect well with what she'd just done to the frost. "I'm the son of Zeus. We're on a peaceful…" Jason's voice faltered, because both Boreads had suddenly turned on him.

"What did you say?" Zethes demanded. "You are the son of Zeus?"

"Um…yeah," Jason said. "That's a good thing, right? My name is Jason."

Cal looked so surprised, he almost dropped his sword. "Can't be Jason," he said. "Doesn't look the same."

Zethes stepped forward and squinted at Jason's face. "No, he is not our Jason. Our Jason was more stylish. Not as much as me—but stylish. Besides, our Jason died millennia ago."

"Stylish?" Riss asked incredulously. "Are you _blind_?"

"Wait," Jason said, nudging Nerissa to be quiet. "Your Jason…you mean the original Jason? The Golden Fleece guy?"

"This will be fun. Ex-besties of old Jason, meet new-and-improved Jason. Hopefully our Jason doesn't get crushed to death by his own ship."

"Of course," Zethes said. "We were his crewmates aboard his ship, the Argo, in the old times, when we were mortal demigods. Then we accepted immortality to serve our father, so I could look this good for all time, and my silly brother could enjoy pizza and hockey."

"Hockey!" Cal agreed.

"But Jason—our Jason—he died a mortal death," Zethes said. "You can't be him."

"I'm not," Jason agreed, actually looking scared at the possibility.

"So, destroy?" Cal asked. Clearly the conversation was giving his two brain cells a serious workout.

"No," Zethes said regretfully. "If he is a son of Zeus, he could be the one we've been watching for."

"Watching for?" Leo asked. "You mean like in a good way: you'll shower him with fabulous prizes? Or watching for like in a bad way: he's in trouble?"

The cold voice of a girl sounded out, "That depends on my father's will."

Leo looked up the staircase. His heart nearly stopped. At the top stood a girl in a white silk dress. Her skin was unnaturally pale, the color of snow, but her hair was a lush mane of black, and her eyes were coffee brown. She focused on Leo with no expression, no smile, no friendliness. But it didn't matter. Leo was in love. She was the most dazzling girl he'd ever seen.

Then she looked at Jason, Piper and Riss, and seemed to understand the situation immediately. "Father will want to see the one called Jason," the girl said.

"Then it is him?" Zethes asked excitedly.

"We'll see," the girl said. "Zethes, bring our guests."

Leo grabbed the handle of his bronze dragon suitcase. He wasn't sure how he'd lug it up the stairs, but he had to get next to that girl and ask her some important questions – like her e-mail address and phone number.

Before he could take a step, she froze him with a look. "Not you, Leo Valdez," she said.

Riss frowned deeply, how did she know Leo's name? Something really wasn't right here. It was obvious that the woman was cold but there was just something about her that froze Riss to her very core.

"Why not?" He probably sounded like a whiny kindergartner, but he couldn't help it.

"You cannot be in the presence of my father," the girl said. "Fire and ice – it would not be wise."

"We're going together," Jason insisted, putting his hand on Leo's shoulder, "or not at all."

The girl tilted her head, like she wasn't used to people refusing her orders. "He will not be harmed, Jason Grace, unless you make trouble. Calais, keep Leo Valdez here. Guard him, but do not kill him."

Cal pouted. "Just a little?"

"No," the girl insisted. "And take care of his interesting suitcase, until Father passes judgment."

Jason, Riss and Piper looked at Leo, their expressions asking him a silent question: How do you want to play this?

Leo felt a surge of gratitude. They were ready to fight for him. They wouldn't leave him alone with the hockey ox. Part of him wanted to go for it, bust out his new tool belt and see what he could do, maybe even summon a fireball or two and warm this place up. But the Boread guys scared him. And that gorgeous girl scared him more, even if he still wanted her number.

"It's fine, guys," he said. "No sense causing trouble if we don't have to. You go ahead."

"Listen to your friend," the pale girl said. "Leo Valdez will be perfectly safe. I wish I could say the same for you, son of Zeus. Now come, King Boreas is waiting."

"Sounds _boring_ ," Riss droned, smirking at Leo before she trailed after Jason and Piper.

 **XXXXX**

If the entry hall had been cold, the throne room was like a meat locker. Thankfully, due to Riss' powers, she wasn't overly affected by temperature. She had to be able to withstand the cold temperatures at the bottom of the ocean so this wasn't much different.

Mist hung in the air. Jason shivered, and his breath steamed, wrapping his arm more tightly around Nerissa's shoulders, who he found was surprisingly at ease. Along the walls, purple tapestries showed scenes of snowy forests, barren mountains, and glaciers. High above, ribbons of colored light—the aurora borealis—pulsed along the ceiling. A layer of snow covered the floor, so Jason had to step carefully and he helped Riss maneuver around them too, although she denied his help.

All around the room stood life-size ice sculpture warriors—some in Greek armor, some medieval, some in modern camouflage—all frozen in various attack positions, swords raised, guns locked and loaded.

At least Jason thought they were sculptures. Then he tried to step between two Greek spearmen, and they moved with surprising speed, their joints cracking and spraying ice crystals as they crossed their javelins to block Jason's path. One javelin was pushed uncomfortably close to the space between Riss' ribs on the right side of her chest and she gulped.

From the far end of the hall, a man's voice rang out in a language that sounded like French. The room was so long and misty, Jason couldn't see the other end; but whatever the man said, the ice guards uncrossed their javelins.

"It's fine," Khione said and Riss bristled at her 'I'm superior to you' tone. "My father has ordered them not to kill you just yet."

"Super," Jason muttered as Riss drawled, "I'd hate to have to say, 'oh, look, I've been impaled.'

Zethes prodded Jason in the back with his sword and then did the same to Riss. "Keep moving, Jason Junior, Emerald Eyes."

"Please don't call me that," both demigods replied, uncomfortable with the nicknames.

"My father is not a patient man," Zethes warned, "and the beautiful Piper, sadly, is losing her magic hairdo very fast. Later, perhaps, I can lend her something from my wide assortment of hair products."

"Thanks," Piper grumbled.

 **XXXXX**

Poseidon was pacing in his throne room, the god of the sea confined to Atlantis. His wife, Amphitrite, had tried to calm him but had let out a disgusted scoff when she realised that her beloved husband was worried about his children – the ones that he had had with a _mortal_. Amphitrite had been even angrier when she had discovered that _both_ demigods had been sired to the same mortal woman.

But Poseidon didn't care. All he cared about was the safety of his children. Percy was missing and Nerissa was growing all the more closer to danger – both Hera's prison _and_ the Jason Grace boy.

The sea god let out a light growl, slamming his hand down on the armrest of his throne as he threw himself into it. Neri was his little girl, he was always going to be worried about her, but now there was an added worry on top of the quests she went on.

 _Boys_.

Poseidon's son, Triton, let out a chuckle, "Father, Nerissa is a smart girl. And excellent with a sword."

Silently, Triton had watched his father grumble under his breath for the past hour, casually swishing his twin fish tails. While Triton was cold and distant with Perseus because of jealousy, he adored his little sister, intent on keeping her safe from any danger. So, for an hour, the prince had calmly listened to his father rant about how close Nerissa Jackson and Jason Grace had become, the rant heavily punctuated by the sea god cursing in Ancient Greek.

But Poseidon _knew_ why the pair was so close and had been sworn to secrecy, not even able to tell his own children the truth.

"I know," Poseidon grumbled. "But a _Roman_."

The word was said with disgust. Poseidon was not the most popular as Neptune and had no Roman demigods. He didn't really have _any_ other children besides the Jackson twins and Tyson but the sentiment was there.

Triton swirled around, leaving the room, but not before throwing over his shoulder, "She has your temper, father. If that boy does anything to harm her, she'll do something horrible to him, _far_ sooner than you could."

The sea god slumped further down in his throne, scrubbing at his face. He knew Triton was right. Nerissa was by far his favorite daughter and far, _far_ stronger than he gave her credit for, even with her strength waning. He was overprotective, determined to keep his little girl as innocent as possible but she had seen far more than Poseidon wanted her to see.

Poseidon shook his head and got up, finally calm enough to perform his duties as the god of the sea. Nerissa would be okay. But still, Poseidon loved his demigod children more than anything else in the world and he wasn't going to let _anyone_ take them from him permanently.

Anyone who tried would surely face the wrath of Poseidon.

 **XXXXX**

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 **Ah! New chapter! Thank you so much for all the reviews!**

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	8. THETA

_**THETA | NOT-SO-DEAD HUMAN POPSICLES UNLEASHING THEIR INNER CAPTAIN AMERICA**_

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Heroes of Olympus series or any of the characters. I only own the character Nerissa Jackson and her original plot lines and dialogue.**

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 **THIS CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO** ** _yasminasfeir1_** **,** ** _NicoleR85_** **,** ** _Madhatterpotterhead_** **AND** ** _DreamHunterVo_** **FOR THE AMAZING REVIEWS! THANK YOU SO MUCH!**

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The trio kept walking, and the mist parted to reveal a man on an ice throne. He was sturdily built, dressed in a stylish white suit that seemed woven from snow, with dark purple wings that spread out to either side. His long hair and shaggy beard were encrusted with icicles, so Jason couldn't tell if his hair was gray or just white with frost. His arched eyebrows made him look angry, but his eyes twinkled more warmly than his daughter's—as if he might have a sense of humor buried somewhere under that permafrost. Jason hoped so. Nerissa's fingers drifted to her necklace and the three stopped in front of Boreas, Jason and Riss extremely close to seek comfort in each other.

" _Bienvenu_ ," the king said. " _Je suis Boreas le Roi. Et vous_?"

Khione the snow goddess was about to speak, but Piper stepped forward and curtsied.

" _Votre Majesté_ ," she said, " _je suis Piper McLean. Et c'est Jason, fils de Zeus_ _et ceci est ...Sally, fille d'Athéna_."

The king smiled with pleasant surprise. " _Vous parlez français? Très bien_!"

"Piper, you speak French?" Jason asked.

Piper frowned. "No. Why?"

"You just spoke French," Riss informed the brunette and Piper blinked.

"I did?" The king said something else, and Piper nodded. " _Oui, Votre Majesté_."

The king laughed and clapped his hands, obviously delighted. He said a few more sentences then swept his hand toward his daughter as if shooing her away.

Khione looked miffed. "The king says—"

"He says I'm a daughter of Aphrodite," Piper interrupted, "so naturally I can speak French, which is the language of love. I had no idea. His Majesty says Khione won't have to translate now."

Behind them, Zethes snorted, and Khione shot him a murderous look. She bowed stiffly to her father and took a step back.

The king sized up Jason, and Jason decided it would be a good idea to bow. "Your Majesty, I'm Jason Grace. Thank you for, um, not killing us. May I ask…why does a Greek god speak French?"

Piper had another exchange with the king.

"He speaks the language of his host country," Piper translated. "He says all gods do this. Most Greek gods speak English, as they now reside in the United States, but Boreas was never welcomed in their realm. His domain was always far to the north. These days he likes Quebec, so he speaks French."

"Makes sense," Riss mused quietly.

The king said something else, and Piper turned pale.

"The king says…" She faltered. "He says—"

"Oh, allow me," Khione said, a wicked smirk pulling at her lips. "My father says he has orders to kill you. Did I not mention that earlier?"

Jason tensed. The king was still smiling amiably, like he'd just delivered great news. Riss let out a low growl of annoyance. All this way, just to get killed by the King of Boredom and his ice queen of a daughter.

"Kill us?" Jason said. "Why?"

"Because," the king said, in heavily accented English, "my lord Aeolus has commanded it."

"Of course he has," Riss sighed, scrubbing at her face. "The gods never make it easy for us. _Ever_."

Boreas rose. He stepped down from his throne and furled his wings against his back. As he approached, Khione and Zethes bowed. Jason, Riss and Piper followed their example.

"I shall deign to speak your language," Boreas said, "as Piper McLean has honored me in mine. _Toujours_ , I have had a fondness for the children of Aphrodite. Athena has never wronged me." Riss was relieved, with her magic ring that hid her as a child of the Big Three and her small white lie, her identity was hidden. "As for you, Jason Grace, my master Aeolus would not expect me to kill a son of Lord Zeus…without first hearing you out."

Jason's gold coin seemed to grow heavy in his pocket. If he were forced to fight, he didn't like his chances. Two seconds at least to summon his blade. Then he'd be facing a god, two of his children, and an army of freeze-dried warriors. And, he'd be worrying about Nerissa throughout the entire fight, even though he knew she could hold her own.

"Aeolus is the master of the winds, right?" Jason asked. "Why would he want us dead?"

"You are demigods," Boreas said, as if this explained everything. "Aeolus' job is to contain the winds, and demigods have always caused him many headaches. They ask him for favors. They unleash winds and cause chaos. But the final insult was the battle with Typhon last summer…"

Riss lifted a brow, "That wasn't _our_ fault. The gods triumphed, it was a good battle."

Boreas nodded and waved his hand, and a sheet of ice like a flat-screen TV appeared in the air. Images of a battle flickered across the surface—a giant wrapped in storm clouds, wading across a river toward the Manhattan skyline. Tiny, glowing figures—the gods, Jason guessed—swarmed around him like angry wasps, pounding the monster with lightning and fire. Finally the river erupted in a massive whirlpool, and the smoky form sank beneath the waves and disappeared.

"The storm giant, Typhon," Boreas explained. "The first time the gods defeated him, eons ago, he did not die quietly. His death released a host of storm spirits—wild winds that answered to no one. It was Aeolus' job to track them all down and imprison them in his fortress. The other gods—they did not help. They did not even apologize for the inconvenience. It took Aeolus centuries to track down all the storm spirits, and naturally this irritated him. Then, last summer, Typhon was defeated again—"

"And his death released another wave of venti," Jason guessed. "Which made Aeolus even angrier."

" _C'est vrai_ ," Boreas agreed.

"But, Your Majesty," Piper said. "The gods had no choice but to battle Typhon. He was going to destroy Olympus! Besides, why punish demigods for that?"

"We were too busy with the Titans and Kronos, the gods were tasked with defeating Typhon, they were the only ones who could," the black-haired girl added.

The king shrugged. "Aeolus cannot take out his anger on the gods. They are his bosses, and very powerful. So he gets even with the demigods who helped them in the war. He issued orders to us: demigods who come to us for aid are no longer to be tolerated. We are to crush your little mortal faces."

There was an uncomfortable silence.

"That sounds…extreme," Jason ventured. "But you're not going to crush our faces yet, right? You're going to listen to us first, 'cause once you hear about our quest—"

"Yes, yes," the king agreed. "You see, Aeolus also said that a son of Zeus might seek my aid, and if this happened, I should listen to you before destroying you, as you might – how did he put it? – make all our lives very interesting. I am only obligated to listen, however. After that, I am free to pass judgment as I see fit. But I will listen first. Khione wishes this also. It may be that we will not kill you."

Jason felt like he could almost breathe again. "Great. Thanks."

"Do not thank me." Boreas smiled. "There are many ways you could make our lives interesting. Sometimes we keep demigods for our amusement, as you can see."

He gestured around the room to the various ice statues. Riss blanched – that was horrible. They were like human popsicles.

Piper made a strangled noise. "You mean—they're all demigods? Frozen demigods? They're alive?"

"An interesting question," Boreas conceded, as if it had never occurred to him before. "They do not move unless they are obeying my orders. The rest of the time, they are merely frozen. Unless they were to melt, I suppose, which would be very messy."

Khione stepped behind Jason and put her cold fingers on his neck. "My father gives me such lovely presents," she murmured in his ear. "Join our court. Perhaps I'll let your friends go."

Riss let out a snarl and, without thinking, slapped the goddess' fingers away. " _Back off_."

Khione's face twisted into a vicious scowl, about to freeze 'Sally,' who stared back at her defiantly.

"What?" Zethes broke in. "If Khione gets this one, then I deserve the girls. Khione always gets more presents!"

"Now, children," Boreas said sternly. "Our guests will think you are spoiled! Besides, you moved too fast. We have not even heard the demigod's story yet. Then we will decide what to do with them. Please, Jason Grace, entertain us."

Jason felt his brain shutting down, not even hearing Riss urge him to tell her what was wrong. He didn't look at Nerissa or Piper for fear he'd completely lose it. He'd gotten them into this, and now they were going die —or worse, they'd be amusements for Boreas's children and end up frozen forever in this throne room, slowly corroding from freezer burn.

Khione purred and stroked his neck again, ignoring Riss' glare. Jason didn't plan it, but electricity sparked along his skin. There was loud pop, and Khione flew backward, skidding across the floor.

Zethes laughed. "That is good! I'm glad you did that, even though I have to kill you now."

For a moment, Khione was too stunned to react. Then the air around her began to swirl with a micro-blizzard and Riss' sword was out in a second. "You dare—"

" _Stop_ ," Jason ordered, with as much force as he could muster. "You're not going to kill us. And you're not going to keep us. We're on a quest for the queen of the gods herself, so unless you want Hera busting down your doors, you're going to let us go."

He sounded a lot more confident than he felt, but it got their attention. Khione's blizzard swirled to a stop. Zethes lowered his sword. They both looked uncertainly at their father.

"Hmm," Boreas said. His eyes twinkled, but Jason couldn't tell if it was with anger or amusement. "A son of Zeus, favored by Hera? This is definitely a first. Tell us your story."

Jason would've botched it right there. He hadn't been expecting to get the chance to talk, and now that he could, his voice abandoned him.

Piper saved him. "Your Majesty." She curtsied again with incredible poise, considering her life was on the line. She told Boreas the whole story, from the Grand Canyon to the prophecy, much better and faster than Jason could have.

"All we ask for is guidance," Piper concluded. "These storm spirits attacked us, and they're working for some evil mistress. If we find them, maybe we can find Hera."

The king stroked the icicles in his beard. Out the windows, night had fallen, and the only light came from the aurora borealis overhead, washing everything in red and blue. Riss stood with bated breath, her sword still out and pointed at Khione, the ice-goddess from Hell.

"I know of these storm spirits," Boreas said. "I know where they are kept, and of the prisoner they took."

"You mean Coach Hedge?" Jason asked. "He's alive?"

"Oh, he better be," Riss grumbled. "I still need to kick his ass for ditching me."

Boreas waved aside the question. "For now. But the one who controls these storm winds…It would be madness to oppose her. You would be better staying here as frozen statues."

"Hera's in trouble," Jason said. "In three days she's going to be—I don't know—consumed, destroyed, something. And a giant is going to rise."

"Yes," Boreas agreed. Was it Jason's imagination, or did he shoot Khione an angry look?

Riss seemed to catch it as well, "You know something more. Something you're not telling us. What is it?"

"Many horrible things are waking. Even my children do not tell me all the news they should. The Great Stirring of monsters that began with Kronos—your father Zeus foolishly believed it would end when the Titans were defeated. But just as it was before, so it is now. The final battle is yet to come, and the one who will wake is more terrible than any Titan. Storm spirits—these are only beginning. The earth has many more horrors to yield up. When monsters no longer stay in Tartarus, and souls are no longer confined to Hades…Olympus has good reason to fear."

Jason wasn't sure what all this meant, but he didn't like the way Khione was smiling—like this was her definition of fun.

"So you'll help us?" Jason asked the king.

Boreas scowled. "I did not say that."

"Please, Your Majesty," Piper said.

Everyone's eyes turned toward her. She had to be scared out of her mind, but she looked beautiful and confident—and it had nothing to do with the blessing of Aphrodite. She looked herself again, in day-old traveling clothes with choppy hair and no makeup. But she almost glowed with warmth in that cold throne room. "If you tell us where the storm spirits are, we can capture them and bring them to Aeolus. You'd look good in front of your boss. Aeolus might pardon us and the other demigods. We could even rescue Gleeson Hedge. Everyone wins."

"She's pretty," Zethes mumbled. "I mean, she's right."

"Father, don't listen to her," Khione said. "She's a child of Aphrodite. She dares to charmspeak a god? Freeze her now!"

Riss raised a brow, standing confidently and Jason couldn't help but think she was more beautiful than even Aphrodite herself – even with the scar on her face, her hair in a messy bun and her sword out. "Get that icicle out of your ass, ice princess. We're here to help, Your Highness, so _let us_."

Boreas considered this as Khione scowled. Jason slipped his hand in his pocket and got ready to bring out the gold coin. If things went wrong, he'd have to move fast.

The movement caught Boreas's eye. "What is that on your forearm, demigod?"

Jason hadn't realized his coat sleeve had gotten pushed up, revealing the edge of his tattoo. Reluctantly, he showed Boreas his marks.

The god's eyes widened. Khione actually hissed and stepped away. Riss angled herself in front of Jason protectively. Then Boreas did something unexpected. He laughed so loudly, an icicle cracked from the ceiling and crashed next to his throne. The god's form began to flicker. His beard disappeared. He grew taller and thinner, and his clothes changed into a Roman toga, lined with purple. His head was crowned with a frosty laurel wreath, and a gladius—a Roman sword like Jason's—hung at his side.

"Aquilon," Jason said, though where he got the god's Roman name from, he had no idea.

"Aqui-who-now?"

The god inclined his head. "You recognize me better in this form, yes? And yet you said you came from Camp Half-Blood?"

"I'm so lost."

Jason shifted his feet. "Uh…yes, Your Majesty."

"Hang on… _No. Way._ Is that his Roman form?" Riss' running commentary was ignored by all occupants of the room.

"And Hera sent you there…" The winter god's eyes were full of mirth. "I understand now. Oh, she plays a dangerous game. Bold, but dangerous! No wonder Olympus is closed. They must be trembling at the gamble she has taken."

"Jason," Piper said nervously, "Why did Boreas change shape? The toga, the wreath. What's going on?"

"It's his Roman form," Jason said. "But what's going on – I don't know."

The god laughed. "No, I'm sure you don't. This should be very interesting to watch." "Does that mean you'll let us go?" Piper asked.

"My dear," Boreas said, "there is no reason for me to kill you. If Hera's plan fails, which I think it will, you will tear each other apart. Aeolus will never have to worry about demigods again."

Jason felt as if Khione's cold fingers were on his neck again, but it wasn't her—it was just the feeling that Boreas was right. That sense of wrongness which had bothered Jason since he got to Camp Half-Blood, and Chiron's comment about his arrival being disastrous—Boreas knew what they meant. The sensation disappeared, however, when he pulled Riss into his arms and the Jackson girl began to gently run her fingers along the tattoos burnt into his skin.

"I don't suppose you could explain?" Jason asked.

"Oh, perish the thought! It is not for me to interfere in Hera's plan. No wonder she took your memory." Boreas chuckled, apparently still having a great time imagining demigods tearing each other apart. The god watched the interaction between the two demigods and smiled again. "You know, I have a reputation as a helpful wind god. Unlike my brethren, I've been known to fall in love with mortals. Why, my sons Zethes and Calais started as demigods—"

"Which explains why they are idiots," Khione growled.

"Stop it!" Zethes snapped back. "Just because you were born a full goddess—"

"Both of you, freeze," Boreas ordered. Apparently, that word carried a lot of weight in the household, because the two siblings went absolutely still. "Now, as I was saying, I have a good reputation, but it is rare that Boreas plays an important role in the affairs of gods. I sit here in my palace, at the edge of civilization, and so rarely have amusements. Why, even that fool Notus, the South Wind, gets spring break in Cancún. What do I get? A winter festival with naked Québécois rolling around in the snow!"

"I like the winter festival," Zethes muttered. Riss' lips twisted. _Pervert_.

"My point," Boreas snapped, "is that I now have a chance to be the center. Oh, yes, I will let you go on this quest. You will find your storm spirits in the windy city, of course. Chicago—"

"Father!" Khione protested.

Boreas ignored his daughter. "If you can capture the winds, you may be able to gain safe entrance to the court of Aeolus. If by some miracle you succeed, be sure to tell him you captured the winds on my orders."

"Okay, sure," Jason said. "So Chicago is where we'll find this lady who's controlling the winds? She's the one who's trapped Hera?"

"Ah." Boreas grinned. "Those are two different questions, son of Jupiter."

 _Jupiter_ , Jason noticed. _Before, he called me son of Zeus. And Riss had called me a son of Jupiter the first time we met as well._

"The one who controls the winds," Boreas continued, "yes, you will find her in Chicago. But she is only a servant—a servant who is very likely to destroy you. If you succeed against her and take the winds, then you may go to Aeolus. Only he has knowledge of all the winds on the earth. All secrets come to his fortress eventually. If anyone can tell you where Hera is imprisoned, it is Aeolus. As for who you will meet when you finally find Hera's cage —truly, if I told you that, you would beg me to freeze you."

"Father," Khione protested, "you can't simply let them—"

"I can do what I like," he said, his voice hardening. "I am still master here, am I not?"

The way Boreas glared at his daughter, it was obvious they had some ongoing argument. Riss also had a feeling that the snow goddess would try very hard to change that fact, it was possible that the next time they visited, Boreas would no longer be 'master' of the house.

Khione's eyes flashed with anger, but she clenched her teeth. "As you wish, Father."

"Now go, demigods," Boreas said, "before I change my mind. Zethes, escort them out safely." They all bowed, and the god of the North Wind dissolved into mist, but not before he eyed Jason and Riss, like them together was perfectly normal.

Back in the entry hall, Cal and Leo were waiting for them. Leo looked cold but unharmed. He'd even gotten cleaned up, and his clothes looked newly washed, like he'd used the hotel's valet service. Festus the dragon was back in normal form, snorting fire over his scales to keep himself defrosted.

As Khione led them down the stairs, Jason noticed that Leo's eyes followed her. Leo started combing his hair back with his hands. _Uh-oh_ , Jason thought. He made a mental note to warn Leo about the snow goddess later. She was not someone to get a crush on.

At the bottom step, Khione turned to Piper. "You have fooled my father, girl. But you have not fooled me. We are not done. And you, Jason Grace, I will see you as a statue in the throne room soon enough."

"Boreas is right," Jason said. "You're a spoiled kid. See you around, ice princess."

Khione's eyes flared pure white. For once, she seemed at a loss for words. To add to it, Riss flipped her the bird. Riss had always been a bit more vulgar than Percy. Khione stormed back up the stairs—literally. Halfway up, she turned into a blizzard and disappeared.

"Be careful," Zethes warned. "She never forgets an insult."

Cal grunted in agreement. "Bad sister."

"She's the goddess of snow," Jason said. "What's she going to do, throw snowballs at us?" But as he said it, Jason had a feeling Khione could do a whole lot worse.

"Snowballs sounds a lot better than becoming human popsicles," Riss mentioned. "I really don't feel like having a Steve Rogers moment, even though he's really cool."

Leo looked devastated. "What happened up there? You made her mad? Is she mad at me too? Guys, that was my prom date!"

"We'll explain later," Piper promised, but when she glanced at Jason, he realized she expected him to explain.

What had happened up there? Jason wasn't sure. Boreas had turned into Aquilon, his Roman form, as if Jason's presence caused him to go schizophrenic. The idea that Jason had been sent to Camp Half-Blood seemed to amuse the god, but Boreas/Aquilon hadn't let them go out of kindness. Cruel excitement had danced in his eyes, as if he'd just placed a bet on a dogfight. 'You will tear each other apart,' he'd said with delight. 'Aeolus will never have to worry about demigods again.'

Jason looked away from Piper and glanced at Nerissa, trying not to show how unnerved he was. "Yeah," he agreed, "we'll explain later."

"Definitely," Riss promised Leo, seeing how he still looked like his crush had just crushed his heart. Which, technically, was exactly what had happened.

"Be careful, pretty girls," Zethes said. "The winds between here and Chicago are bad-tempered. Many other evil things are stirring. I am sorry you will not be staying. You would make a lovely ice statue, in which I could check my reflection."

Riss blanched, "That is a truly _terrifying_ offer. I'll pass, thanks."

"Thanks." Piper agreed with Riss, "But I'd sooner play hockey with Cal."

"Hockey?" Cal's eyes lit up.

"Joking," Piper said.

Riss tilted her head, "I wouldn't mind some pizza though." She hadn't eaten for a while and was incredibly hungry. She'd have to ask later if Leo's magic tool belt made anything that could be consumed by humans without them dying.

"And the storm winds aren't our worst problem, are they?"

"Oh, no," Zethes agreed. "Something else. Something worse."

"Worse," Cal echoed.

Riss let out a fake chuckle, "That sounds like _fun_ , guys. Let's get going, I wouldn't want to miss it."

"Can you tell me?" Piper gave them a smile.

This time, the charm didn't work. The purple-winged Boreads shook their heads in unison. The hangar doors opened onto a freezing starry night, and Festus the dragon stomped his feet, anxious to fly.

"Ask Aeolus what is worse," Zethes said darkly. "He knows. Good luck."

He almost sounded like he cared what happened to them, even though a few minutes ago he'd wanted to make Piper into an ice sculpture.

Cal patted Leo on the shoulder. "Don't get destroyed," he said, which was probably the longest sentence he'd ever attempted. "Next time—hockey. Pizza."

"Come on, guys." Jason stared out at the dark. He was anxious to get out of that cold penthouse, but he had a feeling it was the most hospitable place they'd see for a while. "Let's go to Chicago and try not to get destroyed."

Immediately, Jason latched onto Riss' hand and they made their way from Boreas' hotel.

 **XXXXX**

She watched over them, her shroud pulled low over her face and her pale lips curved up at the corners. The woman watched the demigods with apprehension, the ones that could change _everything_.

The Warrior and her Roman. Nerissa Jackson and Jason Grace.

So quickly, the pair had faced the inevitability of fate. So quickly, they had been drawn to each other. So quickly, they had found their destinies.

The shrouded woman stood over the bowl of water, watching, _waiting_ , for the right time. But Nerissa and Jason were not ready yet; they were teenagers and not yet prepared to learn the importance of their connection. Or how deep it ran.

The Moirai stood behind the woman, weaving the mother thread, the destinies, of the intertwined hero's fates. Clotho, the spinner, placed down her thread, allowing her sister, Lachesis the allotter, determine the fate of the heroes. The inflexible, Atropos, was fearful for Nerissa Jackson. Her thread, which had been entwined with the life of Jason Grace's from the moment she was conceived, was growing shorter.

Like Nerissa was going to die soon, far sooner than Jason would.

"I fear for her," Atropos voiced her thoughts, placing her shears in her lap. It was her role in the universe but it did not mean the final Fate was happy with her job to snip the lifelines of mortals and demigods alike.

All four women had watched Nerissa grow, the designated protectors of the demigod, assigned by the Olympians.

The shrouded woman turned to the inflexible, "You mustn't be. When her time comes, it is Fate. It mustn't be changed." She turned to all three of the Moirai, "Do you understand?"

The Fates answered in unison, turning back to their work. " _Yes, mother_."

 **XXXXX**

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 **I'm just going to have a quick rant. If you don't like my story and think Riss is 'one-dimensional' suggest a way for me to FIX it and make it BETTER. Not just give me some shit after the first chapter that Riss is boring and, basically, a Mary Sue. Read it, like it or don't like it and give me CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM on what I can do to make my story better.**

 **Sorry. But** **I love this story so much and I think Riss is amazing.**

 **I've written this entire story and now I'm just uploading it but now I'm rewriting parts.**

 **Ooh! So, who's the 'shrouded woman'!? And what does she want with Riss and Jason?**

 **Please review, favorite and follow. 5 REVIEWS FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

 **~ Raven**


	9. IOTA

**_IOTA | SKYDIVING MINUS THE PARACHUTE. RATING: FIVE STARS_**

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Heroes of Olympus series or any of the characters. I only own the character Nerissa Jackson and her original plot lines and dialogue.**

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 **THE CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO _Guest_ , _lightwalnut64_ , _Broder4545_ , _NicoleR85_ , _yasminasfeir1_ , _TheBooksAreBetterThanTheMovies_ (LOVE THE USERNAME BY THE WAY. SO TRUE), _Arianna Le Fay_ AND _DreamHunterVo_. I THOUGHT I'D POST A CHAPTER AGAIN REALLY QUICKLY TO REWARD MY WONDERFUL READERS WHO REVIEWED!**

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"Well, that was certainly interesting." Riss nodded quickly, "Let's not do that again."

The four demigods were seated on Festus' back, flying away from Quebec. Piper was tense the entire time, this time seated in front of Riss this time, who was in front of Jason.

"You were amazing," Jason told her, looking around Riss before looking at her too. "You were amazing as well."

Riss waved it off, "I waved around a pointy object – anyone can do that. _Piper_ controlled a _god_ with her _voice_. And she spoke French! That's really amazing!"

Piper blushed but muttered in French, " _If you knew the truth about me, you wouldn't think I was so amazing_."

"What'd you say?" Jason asked, brow furrowed.

"I said I only talked to Boreas. It wasn't so amazing."

"Hey," Jason said, "you saved me from joining Khione's subzero hero collection. I owe you one."

Riss scoffed, drawling out, "Please, _darling_ , like Piper or I would let that ice princess keep a talent such as yourself?"

The black-haired girl didn't see Jason's red cheeks but Piper did and internally sighed. The blonde boy clearly liked the dark-haired daughter of the sea god. Were all Aphrodite girls so unlucky in love? They had that stupid love thing and Silena Beauregard had died for love as well – now, Piper's former boyfriend and best friend seemed to be falling in love with each other.

Leo passed them some sandwiches from his pack. He'd been quiet ever since they'd told him what happened in the throne room. "I still can't believe Khione," he said. "She looked so nice."

"The gods and goddesses are hardly ever nice," Riss admitted. Her run-ins with Mr D and Hera were proof of that, and quite a few others.

"Trust me, man," Jason said. "Snow may be pretty, but up close it's cold and nasty. We'll find you a better prom date."

They were all silent as they ate and they remained silent after finishing their food. Riss sharpened her sword carefully, praying that she wouldn't nick Piper's back by accident. Before long, Piper was asleep against Festus' back and Riss got rid of Nauticus before she could impale the sleeping girl as she drifted off into sleep herself.

Jason slid his hand down Riss' arm, noticing how her shoulders were slumped. "Yeah, get some sleep."

"I don't wanna," the girl slurred, her protests feeble. "I'll…I'll only see Percy."

The blonde boy gently pulled Riss against his chest, "Sleep, I'm here. Don't worry."

The girl's green eyes flickered shut, succumbing to sleep. Jason and Riss really hadn't known each other long and he had been Piper's 'boyfriend,' yet, they were so connected. Riss had a feeling it was because of Hera, somehow.

Leo turned around, glancing at his friends. Piper was slumped against his back, asleep and Riss was also asleep, leaning against Jason's chest. Jason's face was nuzzled into Riss' neck, his arms around her waist. Chuckling to himself, the Latino boy turned around, focusing on directing Festus forward.

 **XXXXX**

The last time Riss had shown up in this place, Kronos had cursed her father's blood. It made her too unpredictable, apparently.

Tartarus was never nice, no matter what time of year, but this was just ridiculous. It had become _worse_ , if that was possible; darker, danker and all around nastier. And Riss had no idea why she was there.

Maybe someone wanted to speak to her. Maybe someone wanted to kill her. Both choices were just as likely as the other, so the Jackson girl walked tentatively.

For a second, it was calm, quiet, as still as the dead and then the screaming started. At first, it was like a whisper but within a few moments, the cries of the dead reached her ears and Riss slumped onto her knees, holding her ears.

" _Curse your father's blood_."

That was not Kronos. Riss was sure of that; the voice was female and raspy, like a smoker's. A figure appeared for just a second, flickering in front Riss and then the woman was gone. She left a few smoke hazes behind her and then the voice was behind Riss, right beside her ear.

" _Stupid demigod, so desperate to find out if her brother was dead that she would send herself_ here."

Riss whirled around, "Who are you?"

" _Curse the gods. Curse the demigods. I have a role to play but my father confines me here_! _I despise the gods_!" The woman appeared in front of the sea-green-eyed girl. One side of her hair was white and the other was black. She was dressed in a golden shawl, her distorted face on full view. " _Fear me, Nerissa Jackson_!"

One side of the woman's face was chalk-white, the other mummified and blackened and Nerissa did what the woman asked. Riss let out a loud, terrified scream.

 **XXXXX**

Nerissa Jackson found herself snapped out of sleep as she tumbled through the sky – Piper, Jason and Leo screaming their lungs out. Her own screams mingled with theirs, scared shitless of her dream and falling from the sky.

Far below, the city lights glimmering in the early dawn, and several hundred yards away the body of the bronze dragon spinning out of control, its wings limp, fire flickering in its mouth like a badly wired light bulb. A body shot past Riss, then past Piper—Leo, screaming and frantically grabbing at the clouds.

"Not coooooool!" The boy screamed, not able to hear Piper calling for him.

Riss frantically reached out for some – _any_ – water in the air around them. The clouds reached for her and dissipated, leaving a swirl of water floating around her. It formed a disk at a flick of her wrist and Riss pointed to Piper, speaking to Jason.

"Get her, she can't fly, dummy!" Jason nodded and began to instruct Piper to level out and extend her arms. Riss swept out her hand and the disk of water sat underneath her feet, keeping her floating in midair. Although her father's domain was the ocean, Riss had power over all bodies of water and although her control was weak, fear made her slightly stronger.

But still, that was not nearly enough.

Riss floated down and clutched onto one of Jason's arms, which quickly twined around her waist. It was good that he pulled her close, as Riss' powers slipped and the water fell from beneath her feet. Riss gasped, pressing her hands to Jason's chest in fear.

Piper was pulled closer as well and they ended up in a three-way hug. Piper shouted, "We have to get Leo!"

Their fall slowed but not completely. Jason was already struggling with Riss' and Piper's added weight to his own, trying to keep them from plummeting down.

"Gonna get rough," Jason warned. "Hold on!"

Piper locked her arms around him, and Jason shot toward the ground. Piper screamed and Riss yelled out Latin curses. Her vision blurred and she pushed her body tighter to Jason's; Riss was terrified of heights and now she had no control, no way to help her friends.

And then, they slammed into another warm body—Leo, still wriggling and cursing.

"Stop fighting!" Jason said. "It's me!"

"My dragon!" Leo yelled. "You gotta save Festus!"

Jason was already struggling to keep the three of them aloft, now there was an added weight. Piper knew there was no way he could help a fifty-ton metal dragon. But before she could try to reason with Leo, she heard an explosion below them. A fireball rolled into the sky from behind a warehouse complex, and Leo sobbed, "Festus!"

Jason's face reddened with strain as he tried to maintain an air cushion beneath them, but intermittent slow-downs were the best he could manage. Rather than free-falling, it felt like they were bouncing down a giant staircase, a hundred feet at a time.

Riss suddenly pushed herself away from the other demigods but Jason gripped her tighter. "Jason! Let me go! You can't hold up all of us and I can look after myself!" Without another word, the daughter of Poseidon summoned water to her and used it to cushion her fall as she plummeted through the air.

There was a factory complex below that Riss could barely make out and she heard Jason groan, "I can't—" before their speed increased and all four demigods were plummeting through the air. Then, there was only _pain_ and Nerissa's world turned black.

 **XXXXX**

Jason was watching over Riss, extremely worried. They had force-fed the girl ambrosia, the food of the gods, hoping that it would wake her up. The raven-head had hit the roof of the factory first and wasn't waking up.

There was no swelling, no blood. She moved occasionally but her brilliant green eyes hadn't opened at all. Piper was sitting against a wall and Riss was cradled in Jason's arms. Leo had gone searching for Festus and Jason was worried about him too. He had just told Piper about his sister, Thalia, the Hunter of Artemis he couldn't remember. Piper told Jason that Riss knew Thalia well and she had been about to tell him something about her father, but Riss had twitched, drawing Jason's attention.

"What if she's…?" Piper was seated a few steps away, resting her newly injured ankle and didn't want to finish the thought. Riss couldn't be…

"She's not dead. And she's not dying," Jason replied, not looking away from Riss. "Riss is still breathing. She _can't_ die. Riss knows Thalia, she already knows _me_ better than I know myself and I—" He cut himself off.

Piper watched silently as Jason brushed the hair off Riss' face. She was caked in dirt and small chips of steel and was deathly still, but she still looked beautiful, Piper noticed. There was an almost unearthly beauty about Riss and Jason seemed to think so too. Maybe Riss really was a nymph or a minor goddess or something…

There was a clang and the conscious demigods looked up quickly.

"Leo?" Jason called hesitantly. No answer. The blonde picked Riss up and moved her closer to Piper. He crouched next to the brunette. "I don't like this."

"He could be in trouble," Piper said. "Go check."

"I can't leave you and Riss alone."

"We'll be fine." She felt terrified, but she wasn't about to admit it. She drew her dagger Katoptris and tried to look confident. She only had a small knife and she had to protect a powerful – but unfortunately unconscious – demigod and herself at the same time. "Anyone gets close to us, I'll skewer them."

Jason hesitated. "I'll leave you the pack. If I'm not back in five minutes—"

"Panic?" she suggested.

He managed a smile. "Glad you're back to normal. The makeup and the dress were a lot more intimidating than the dagger."

"Get going, Sparky, before I skewer you and I wake Riss up just to drown you."

"Sparky?"

Even offended, Jason looked hot to Piper. It wasn't fair. Especially with how he was around Riss. Then he made his way to the stairs and disappeared into the dark.

Piper counted her breaths, trying to gauge how much time had passed. She lost track at around forty-three. Then something in the warehouse went ' _bang_!' and her hand darted to Riss', looking for some type of comfort.

The echo died. Piper's heart pounded but she didn't call out. Her instincts told her it might not be a good idea. Riss shifted, her eyes flickering open. Her head was pounding but she managed to struggle up against the wall.

" _Riss_ ," Piper whispered in relief. "You're awake."

"Yeah…and judging by your face, it was a great time to wake up." The girl glanced around. "I'm guessing 'threat.' Can you get away if something comes at you?"

Piper stared at her splinted ankle. _It's not like I can run_. Then she looked up again at the Monocle Motors sign. A little voice in her head pestered her, warning of danger. Something from Greek mythology…

The Cherokee girl shook her head, "No, I'm sorry."

Riss bit her lip but nodded, "Hey, that's okay. You're hurt but we'll be okay. _Nauticus_." Her sword appeared in her hand and she forced back a wince as her head flared with pain. The green-eyed girl indicated the bag, "Uh, got any ambrosia or nectar in there?"

Piper's hand went to her backpack. She took out the ambrosia squares. Too much would burn her up, but would a little more fix her ankle? Riss plucked one from her hand and ate it, her 'godly powers' allowed her to eat a _tiny_ bit more ambrosia than a normal demigod without… _exploding_ , but still, she had to be careful _._

 _Boom_. The sound was closer this time, directly below the girls.

Turning back to her friend, Riss pointed at the food of the gods', "Eat it, you'll be okay…hopefully."

Piper didn't look too reassured but dug out a whole square of ambrosia and stuffed it in her mouth. Her heart raced faster. Her skin felt feverish. Something brushed her hand and Piper was acutely aware of it. The brunette girl's head snapped down, only to relax when she saw that it was only Riss' hand.

"You're ankle will be fine now. Promise." Riss tilted her head at the Monocle Motors sign and frowned, "But something's not right, I know that for a fact."

Hesitantly, Piper flexed her ankle against the splint. No pain, no stiffness at all. She cut through the duct tape with her dagger and heard heavy steps on the stairs—like metal boots. Riss' eyes narrowed and she got up quickly, pointing her sword out in front of her.

Had it been five minutes? Longer? The steps didn't sound like Jason, but maybe he was carrying Leo. Finally the brunette couldn't stand it. Gripping her dagger, Piper called out, "Jason?" ignoring how frantically Riss shushed her.

"Yeah," he said from the darkness. Riss threw her hands up in exasperation, Piper shouldn't have called out. In every horror movie, the pretty girl called out for her boyfriend and walked alone into the dark and creepy basement when he answered, only to get murdered. This wasn't looking good for them. "On my way up."

It was definitely Jason's voice, Riss couldn't ever deny that and Piper was sure of it. So why did all her instincts say to ' _run_ '? Riss seemed to be thinking the same thing as she hauled Piper to her feet and began to back them away.

The steps came closer.

"It's okay," Jason's voice promised and Riss frantically shook her head. That wasn't Jason, she could feel it in her gut.

The raven-haired girl shoved Piper behind her and whispered, " _Run, Pipes_."

Piper didn't move but in the next few moments, she really wished she had. At the top of the stairs, a face appeared out of the darkness—a hideous black grin, a smashed nose, and a single bloodshot eye in the middle of his forehead.

"It's fine," the Cyclops said, in a perfect imitation of Jason's voice. "You're just in time for dinner."

" _Sanctus stercore stupri!_ "

 **XXXXX**

Riss was tired of being knocked unconscious. She was also tired of reasonably immortal relatives randomly showing up and trying to kill her.

This situation happened to be the latter.

Being knocked out, in general, was a nightmare. Riss wasn't scared of being unconscious – per say – but she was afraid of being vulnerable near people she didn't trust. Or even people who she did know or at least, thought she did.

Riss' 'relatives' were three Cyclops who had an uncanny talent for mimicking voices and had tied her, Piper and Jason up. They were all hung upside down on crane arms, tied by their ankles and cocooned with chains up to their necks. Piper was flailing around, mouth gagged like Riss', trying to free herself. Jason was a lot worse. He hung limply, his eyes rolled up in his head. A red welt the size of an apple had swollen over his left eyebrow. Riss hadn't bothered to struggle, Leo was still out there and he was a lot more equipped with his magical tool belt than a girl with a knife she couldn't reach, a girl with a magic necklace that she also couldn't reach and an unconscious boy who wasn't going to be a help at all.

The black-haired girl let out a sigh and wiggled her fingers, trying to get at least one of her hands free. After a few moments, Riss gave up. Her head was sore and her patience had run thin.

One of the Cyclopes called out in Piper's voice: "Leo, help me! Help—" Then the voice changed, becoming a masculine snarl. "Bah, there's nobody out there. No demigod could be that quiet, eh?"

The first Cyclops chuckled. "Probably ran away, if he knows what's good for him. Or the girl was lying about a fourth demigod. Let's get cooking."

Riss' eyes narrowed as there was a flare of light but it disappeared behind a crane. _Leo_. She almost sighed in relief and nudged Piper to get her to stop struggling.

The three Cyclopes were a mother and her two sons and unfortunately, they all looked reasonably the same. With her ring on, the monsters couldn't tell that Riss was Poseidon's daughter but the younger – and slightly more knuckle-headed Cyclops – had said, and Riss could quote, 'this one smells salty.' Riss had felt her heart stutter in her chest.

The Cyclops in the chain mail loincloth walked over to Piper, who squirmed and tried to head-butt him in the eye. "Can I take her gag off now? I like it when they scream."

Riss made an angry noise and glared, threatening the Cyclops to even _dare_ do anything. The leader, Mommy Monster as Riss had begun calling her in her head, gave a grunt and the gag was ripped off Piper's mouth.

She didn't scream and only took a shaky breath.

"Scream, girl! I like funny screaming!"

When Piper finally spoke, her tone was calm and reasonable, like she was correcting a naughty puppy. "Oh, Mr Cyclops, you don't want to kill us. It would be much better if you let us go. Please take the gag of my friend as well."

Loincloth scratched his ugly head, quickly took the gag off Riss, who also kept quiet. He turned to his friend in the fiberglass toga, gesturing to Piper. "She's kind of pretty, Torque. Maybe I should let her go."

Torque, Toga-Man, growled. "I saw her first, Sump. I'll let her go!"

Sump and Torque started to argue, but the third Cyclops rose and shouted, "Fools!"

Riss rolled her eyes – this Cyclops would always have trouble looking after her sons, Torque and Sump seemed like a handful. The woman Cyclops stalked over to Sump and pushed him aside, knocking him over the conveyor belt. Torque backed up quickly.

"The girl is Venus spawn," the lady Cyclops snarled. "She's using charmspeak on you."

Piper started to say, "Please, ma'am—"

"—Piper, don't—"

"Rarr!" The lady Cyclops grabbed Piper around the waist, seeming to agree with Riss and grabbed Riss' waist as well. "Don't try your pretty talk on me, girl! I'm Ma Gasket! I've eaten heroes tougher than you for lunch!"

Riss held her breath, scared that Piper would get crushed, not really caring about her own safety, but Ma Gasket just dropped her and Piper and let her dangle from her chain. Then she started yelling at Sump about how stupid he was.

Riss ignored what the Cyclopes were saying and instead strained her eyes to try and catch another glimpse of Leo in the dark. "—eat her last, Ma?" Sump was saying.

"Idiot!" Ma Gasket yelled, scaring Riss out of her thoughts. "I should've thrown you out on the streets when you were babies, like proper Cyclops children. You might have learned some useful skills. Curse my soft heart that I kept you!"

"Soft heart?" Torque muttered, sounding like he disagreed.

"What was that, you ingrate?"

"Can I use that insult?"

"Nothing, Ma. I said you got a soft heart. We get to work for you, feed you, file your toenails—"

"And you should be grateful!" Ma Gasket bellowed. "Now, stoke the fire, Torque! And Sump, you idiot, my case of salsa is in the other warehouse. Don't tell me you expect me to eat these demigods without salsa!"

"Yes, Ma," Sump said. "I mean no, Ma. I mean—"

"Go get it!" Ma Gasket picked up a nearby truck chassis and slammed it over Sump's head. Sump crumpled to his knees. Riss winced, but Sump apparently got hit over the head with trucks a lot. He managed to push the chassis off his head. Then he staggered to his feet and ran off to fetch the salsa.

Leo took his chance and he dashed between robotic arms, the Cyclopes didn't see him, but Piper and Riss did. Piper's expression turned from terror to disbelief, and she gasped. Riss lightly jabbed the girl in the side but the Cyclops woman heard it.

Ma Gasket turned to her. "What's the matter, girl? So fragile I broke you?"

Thankfully, Piper was a quick thinker. She looked away from Leo and said, "I think it's my ribs, ma'am. If I'm busted up inside, I'll taste terrible."

"Yeah," Riss quickly agreed. "Broken ribs gets in the way of the quality of her lungs."

Ma Gasket bellowed with laughter. "Good one. The last hero we ate—remember him, Torque? Son of Mercury, wasn't he?"

The daughter of Poseidon's eyes widened at the words. _Roman_ , again? Why hadn't the two camps had contact if they had been around for years? Did Chiron hide this from them or the gods?

"Yes, Ma," Torque said. "Tasty. Little bit stringy."

"He tried a trick like that. Said he was on medication. But he tasted fine!"

"Tasted like mutton," Torque recalled. "Purple shirt. Talked in Latin. Yes, a bit stringy, but good."

Riss' voice was dazed as she asked, "Latin? Purple shirt?"

"Good eating," Ma Gasket said fondly. "Point is, girls, we're not as dumb as people think! We're not falling for those stupid tricks and riddles, not us northern Cyclopes."

The black-haired girl's eyes were glazed over, "Yeah…not stupid…"

Piper started talking, laying on the praise. "Oh, I've heard about the northern Cyclopes!" She sounded convincing. "I never knew you were so big and clever!"

"Flattery won't work either," Ma Gasket said, though she sounded pleased. "It's true, you'll be breakfast for the best Cyclopes around."

" _So_ not true."

Both… _women_ ignored the green-eyed demigod and kept talking.

"But aren't Cyclopes good?" Piper asked. "I thought you made weapons for the gods."

"Bah! I'm very good. Good at eating people. Good at smashing. And good at building things, yes, but not for the gods. Our cousins, the elder Cyclopes, they do this, yes. Thinking they're so high and mighty 'cause they're a few thousand years older. Then there's our southern cousins, living on islands and tending sheep. Morons! But we Hyperborean Cyclopes, the northern clan, we're the best! Founded Monocle Motors in this old factory—the best weapons, armor, chariots, fuel-efficient SUVs! And yet—bah! Forced to shut down. Laid off most of our tribe. The war was too quick. Titans lost. No good! No more need for Cyclops weapons."

Nerissa rolled her eyes. "Oh, yay…" Her voice was a sarcastic hum. "My second cousins twice removed are psychopathic _and_ have an inferiority complex."

"Oh, no," Piper sympathized, trying to hide her smile at her friend's words and continued. "I'm sure you made some amazing weapons."

Torque grinned. "Squeaky war hammer!" He picked up a large pole with an accordion-looking metal box on the end. Riss' lip curled up at that – _what in the world…?_ He slammed it against the floor and the cement cracked, but there was also a sound like the world's largest rubber ducky getting stomped.

"Terrifying," Piper said.

Torque looked pleased. "Not as good as the exploding ax, but this one can be used more than once."

"Can I see it?" Piper asked. "If you could just free my hands—"

Torque stepped forward eagerly, but Ma Gasket said, "Stupid! She's tricking you again. Enough talk! Slay the boy first before he dies on his own. I like my meat fresh."

"Hey, wait," Riss said, trying to get the Cyclopes' attention.

"Hey, can I just ask—" Piper added.

The wires sparked in the dark, a tiny light. The Cyclopes froze and turned in the direction of Leo, Riss assumed. Then Torque picked up a truck and threw it at him.

Leo just managed to roll out of the way and got to his feet, and Ma Gasket spotted him. She yelled, "Torque, you pathetic excuse for a Cyclops, get him!"

Torque barreled toward him. Leo's magical mechanical skills made a robotic arm whirr to life. A three-ton yellow metal claw slammed the Cyclops in the back so hard, he landed flat on his face. Before Torque could recover, the robotic hand grabbed him by one leg and hurled him straight up.

"AHHHHH!" Torque rocketed into the gloom. The ceiling was too dark and too high up to see exactly what happened, but judging from the harsh metal clang, Leo guessed the Cyclops had hit one of the support girders.

Torque never came down. Instead, yellow dust rained to the floor. Torque had disintegrated. Ma Gasket stared at Leo in shock. "My son…You…You…"

As if on cue, Sump lumbered into the firelight with a case of salsa. "Ma, I got the extra-spicy—"

With a calculated twist of Leo's controller, the robotic arm destroyed Sump too. Two Cyclopes down. Leo was beginning to feel like Commander Tool Belt when Ma Gasket locked her eye on him. She grabbed the nearest crane arm and ripped it off its pedestal with a savage roar. "You busted my boys! Only I get to bust my boys!"

Leo punched a button, and the two remaining arms swung into action. Ma Gasket caught the first one and tore it in half. The second arm smacked her in the head, but that only seemed to make her mad. She grabbed it by the clamps, ripped it free, and swung it like a baseball bat. It missed Piper, Riss and Jason by an inch. Then Ma Gasket let it go—spinning it toward Leo. He yelped and rolled to one side as it demolished the machine next to him.

Leo started to realize that an angry Cyclops mother was not something you wanted to fight with a universal remote and a screwdriver. The future for Commander Tool Belt was not looking so hot.

She stood about twenty feet from him now, next to the cooking fire. Her fists were clenched, her teeth bared. She looked ridiculous in her chain mail muumuu and her greasy pigtails—but given the murderous glare in her huge red eye and the fact that she was twelve feet tall, Leo wasn't laughing.

"Any more tricks, demigod?" Ma Gasket demanded.

Leo glanced up. "Heck, yeah, I got tricks!" Leo raised his remote control. "Take one more step, and I'll destroy you with fire!"

Ma Gasket laughed. "Would you? Cyclopes are immune to fire, you idiot. But if you wish to play with flames, let me help!" She scooped red-hot coals into her bare hands and flung them at Leo. They landed all around his feet.

"You missed," he said incredulously. Then Ma Gasket grinned and picked up a barrel next to the truck. Leo just had time to read the stenciled word on the side—kerosene—before Ma Gasket threw it. The barrel split on the floor in front of him, spilling lighter fluid everywhere.

Coals sparked. Leo closed his eyes, and Piper and Riss screamed, "No!"

A firestorm erupted around him. When Leo opened his eyes he was bathed in flames swirling twenty feet into the air. Ma Gasket shrieked with delight, but Leo didn't offer the fire any good fuel. The kerosene burned off, dying down to small fiery patches on the floor.

Piper gasped. "Leo?"

Riss' eyes – and smile – were wide. "Leo, you're amazing."

Ma Gasket looked astonished. "You live?" Then she took that extra step forward, which put her right where Leo wanted. "What are you?"

"The son of Hephaestus," Leo said. "And I warned you I'd destroy you with fire."

He pointed one finger in the air and shot a bolt of white-hot flames at the chain suspending the engine block above the Cyclops's head—aiming for the link that looked weaker than rest. The flames died. Nothing happened.

Ma Gasket laughed. "An impressive try, son of Hephaestus. It's been many centuries since I saw a fire user. You'll make a spicy appetizer!"

The chain snapped—that single link heated beyond its tolerance point—and the engine block fell, deadly and silent.

"I don't think so," Leo said.

Ma Gasket didn't even have time to look up. _Smash_! No more Cyclops—just a pile of dust under a five-ton engine block.

"Not immune to engines, huh?" Leo said. "Boo-yah!"

Then he fell to his knees, his head buzzing. After a few minutes he realized Piper was calling his name.

"Leo! Are you all right? Can you move?"

He stumbled to his feet. He'd never tried to summon such an intense fire before, and it had left him completely drained. It took him a long time to get Piper down from her chains and Riss too. Then together they lowered Jason, who was still unconscious. Piper managed to trickle a little nectar into his mouth, and he groaned. The welt on his head started to shrink. His color came back a little.

"Yeah, he's got a nice thick skull," Leo said. "I think he's gonna be fine."

"Thank god," Piper sighed. Then she looked at Leo with something like fear. "How did you—the fire—have you always…?"

Leo looked down. "Always," he said. "I'm a freaking menace. Sorry, I should've told you guys sooner but—"

Riss cut the Valdez boy off, "That was AWESOME! So cool!"

"Sorry?" Piper punched his arm. When he looked up, she was grinning. "That was amazing, Valdez! You saved our lives. What are you sorry about?"

Leo blinked. He started to smile, but his sense of relief was ruined when he noticed something next to Piper's foot. Yellow dust—the powdered remains of one of the Cyclopes, maybe Torque—was shifting across the floor like an invisible wind was pushing it back together.

"They're forming again," Leo said. "Look."

Piper stepped away from the dust. "That's not possible. Annabeth told me monsters dissipate when they're killed. They go back to Tartarus and can't return for a long time."

"Well, nobody told the dust that." Leo watched as it collected into a pile, then very slowly spread out, forming a shape with arms and legs.

"Oh, god." Piper turned pale. "Boreas said something about this—the earth yielding up horrors."

"'When monsters no longer stay in Tartarus, and souls are no longer confined to Hades,'" Riss finished for Piper. "How long do you think we have?"

Leo thought about the face that had formed in the ground outside—the sleeping woman who was definitely a horror from the earth. "I don't know," he said. "But we need to get out of here."

"Good idea. Let's move."

 **XXXXX**

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 **I am so, so grateful to everyone who reviewed! You make writing worth it!**

 **Ooh, so there's another woman making an appearance? Why the eff is she so grumpy? I mean, seriously. And t** **he shrouded woman with the Fates in the last chapter has been suspected as either Ananke or Themis, so we'll see. Dun...dun...dun...**

 **Please review, favorite and follow!**

 **~ Raven**


	10. KAPPA

_**KAPPA | NEXT, TRY OUR FIVE STAR HOTEL...IN THE SEWERS**_

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Heroes of Olympus series or any of the characters. I only own the character Nerissa Jackson and her original plot lines and dialogue.**

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 **THE CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO** ** _The Reviewer_** **,** ** _Madhatterpotterhead_** **,** ** _NicoleR85_** **,** ** _yasminasfeir1_** **AND** ** _Arianna Le Fay._** **THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING!**

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 ** _The Reviewer: No offense taken at all, don't worry. I'm sorry if it came across like that! Riss knows she's pretty but she doesn't see herself as 'beautiful.' I think I'm going to leave Leo and Calypso but I might make an OC for Piper. Who knows? I'm still planning._**

 ** _Madhatterpotterhead: Good guess but no. They may make a later appearance though, thanks for the inspiration!_**

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"Curse those Cyclops! Send them to Tartarus!" Poseidon roared, stamping his trident on the ground. The floor of his palace cracked a bit, splitting down the middle. "I want them _permanently_ destroyed!"

Amphitrite rolled her eyes, "Darling, I know you're worried about those demigods but Ma Gasket and her sons meant well. You needn't punish them for _your indiscretion's_ mistake."

Poseidon turned around quickly, sea-green eyes flashing with anger. He knew exactly who his wife was referring to; the sea queen's tone was derisive, hatred dripping off her tongue when she made reference to Nerissa and Perseus.

The woman seemed to realize that she should tread carefully and sat back down in her throne, "You know what I mean, husband. _Those_ children were mist—"

" _Do not finish that sentence_!" It wasn't Poseidon's angry yell that silenced Amphitrite but her son's. Triton swished his tail, "Nerissa and Perseus were _not_ mistakes and I will not stand by and listen to you speak ill of them."

Amphitrite huffed like a child and swum from the throne room, leaving Poseidon and Triton alone.

"She means well."

Triton scoffed, "Her reaction to my siblings will be the same as my initial reaction to my half-brother, father. That shall not change, not while my mother is ruled by her own jealousy. I recommend that you keep your devotion to your half-bloods to a minimum around her."

Poseidon jerked his head once in a nod and moved to a small spring in the corner of the room. He waved a hand over it, summoning Iris. He needed to speak to _her_.

 **XXXXX**

Riss had tried to relax as they flew away from Monocle Motors. Casually, she was slumped against Leo's back as he directed Festus through the air, the boy running at a higher temperature that quelled her fearful shivers.

"Are we there yet?" The Jackson girl asked quietly, exhausted.

Leo laughed, "No, Riss, we're not. Maybe get some rest."

Riss' shoulders slumped and she nodded against Leo's shoulder. But she wasn't going to sleep – visions of Percy fighting and running had plagued her mind and she didn't want to think about that.

The green-eyed girl had a lot to think about. Boreas' warning, Khione's threat, the way that the entire quest seemed to be because of Jason and only him. Riss suspected that the trade – whatever Hera meant by it – was that Jason came to Camp Half-Blood and Percy went…well, wherever Jason originally came from.

 **XXXXX**

Jason's eyes snapped open, waking with a start. "Cyclops!"

Riss, who sat in front of Jason, turned to run a hand through his blonde hair. She used to do that to Tyson when he woke up from a nightmare. Originally when Tyson had joined the 'family,' Percy had been embarrassed by him but Riss had accepted him whole-heartedly immediately. Riss often joked that her heart was as cold as ice, but that wasn't true at all.

"Hey, calm down, Jase," Riss cooed. "You're okay. We're safe now."

Since waking up with no memory, everyone had just been calling him by his first name. 'Jase' was a welcome change and sounded nice coming from Riss. It would probably sound strange coming from anyone else, even if it was a few letters short of his real name.

"Whoa, sleepyhead." Piper sat behind him on the bronze dragon, holding his waist to keep him balanced. Leo sat in front, driving. They flew peacefully through the winter sky as if nothing had happened.

"D-Detroit," Jason stammered. "Didn't we crash-land? I thought—"

"It's okay," Leo said. "We got away, but you got a nasty concussion. How you feeling?"

Jason's head throbbed. He remembered the factory, worrying about Riss, then walking down the catwalk, then a creature looming over him—a face with one eye, a massive fist—and everything went black.

"How did you—the Cyclops—"

Riss shot a smirk over her shoulder, "You mean my distant relatives?" Jason shuddered, not understanding how someone as strong and kind as Riss could be related to demigod-eating Cyclopes.

"Leo ripped them apart," Piper said. "He was amazing. He can summon fire—"

"It was nothing," Leo said quickly.

Piper laughed. "Shut up, Valdez. I'm going to tell him. Get over it."

"You're never live this down, so shut up for story time," Riss added.

And the girls told him—how Leo single-handedly defeated the Cyclopes family; how they freed Jason, then noticed the Cyclopes starting to re-form; how Leo had replaced the dragon's wiring and gotten them back in the air just as they'd started to hear the Cyclopes roaring for vengeance inside the factory. And how Riss had shouted abuse back in Latin, mainly 'your mama' jokes Leo told her to relay.

Jason was impressed. Taking out three Cyclopes with nothing but a tool kit? Not bad. It didn't exactly scare him to hear how close he'd come to death, but it did make him feel horrible. He'd stepped right into an ambush and spent the whole fight knocked out while his friends fended for themselves. What kind of quest leader was he?

When Riss, quite awkwardly, told him about the other kid the Cyclopes claimed to have eaten, the one in the purple shirt who spoke Latin, Jason felt like his head was going to explode. A son of Mercury…Jason felt like he should know that kid, but the name was missing from his mind.

"I'm not alone, then," he said. "There are others like me."

"Jason," Piper chided, "you were never alone. You've got us."

"I—I know … but something Hera said. I was having a dream…"

He told them what he'd seen, and what the goddess had said inside her cage.

"An exchange?" Piper asked. "What does that mean?"

Riss' eyes widened, "Could…could that be why Percy's gone too? Did she say anything about Percy? Exchanges go both ways."

Jason shook his head. "But Hera's gamble is me. Just by sending me to Camp Half-Blood, I have a feeling she broke some kind of rule, something that could blow up in a big way—"

"Or save us," Piper said hopefully. "That bit about the sleeping enemy—that sounds like the lady Leo told us about."

Leo cleared his throat. "About that…she kind of appeared to me back in Detroit, in a pool of Porta-Potty sludge."

Jason wasn't sure he'd heard that right and Riss wrinkled her nose in slight disgust. "Did you say…Porta-Potty?"

"Well, whoever it is, she belonged in the Porta-Potty…'cause she's a piece of shit." Leo high-fived Riss for her comment.

Leo told them about the big face in the factory yard. "I don't know if she's completely unkillable," he said, "but she cannot be defeated by toilet seats. I can vouch for that. She wanted me to betray you guys, and I was like, 'Pfft, right, I'm gonna listen to a face in the potty sludge.'"

"She's trying to divide us." Piper slipped her arms from around Jason's waist, having been making sure Jason didn't fall off Festus as he was unconscious. He could sense her tension without even looking at her. Riss' brow furrowed in worry.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"I just…Why are they toying with us? Who is this lady, and how is she connected to Enceladus?"

"Enceladus?" Jason didn't think he'd heard that name before.

Riss' expression changed from worry to slight suspicion, "Piper, what aren't you telling us?"

"I mean…" Piper's voice quavered, avoiding meeting Riss' eyes. The black-haired girl was like a human lie-detector. "That's one of the giants. Just one of the names I could remember."

Jason got the feeling there was a lot more bothering her, but he decided he not to press her. She'd had a rough morning.

Leo scratched his head. "Well, I dunno about Enchiladas—"

"Enceladus," Piper corrected.

"Whatever. But Old Potty Face mentioned another name. Porpoise Fear, or something?"

"You mean Porphyrion?" Riss corrected. Although she was dyslexic like Percy and most demigods, she didn't mind learning and after the Labyrinth, she had been getting _Monster and Myth 101_ lessons from Chiron to better prepare her for what was out there.

Piper nodded. "He was the giant king, I think."

"Yup," Riss popped the 'p.' "Also, a major dick."

Jason envisioned that dark spire in the old reflecting pool—growing larger as Hera got weaker. "I'm going to take wild guess," he said. "In the old stories, Porphyrion kidnapped Hera. That was the first shot in the war between the giants and the gods."

"I think so," Piper agreed. "But those myths are really garbled and conflicted. It's almost like nobody wanted that story to survive. I just remember there was a war, and the giants were almost impossible to kill."

"Heroes and gods had to work together," Jason said. "That's what Hera told me."

"Kind of hard to do," Leo grumbled, "if the gods won't even talk to us."

"The only way was for a half-blood to fight and for a god to land the final blow," Riss mused quietly, though they all heard her. "The gods have _run_ from this threat, they're even scared of the giants, but now there's no one to stop them. They've even taken one of our best warriors away from us – Percy would've gotten their attention…somehow…"

They flew west, and Jason became lost in his thoughts—all of them bad. The others were all silent too. He wasn't sure how much time passed before the dragon dove through a break in the clouds, and below them, glittering in the winter sun, was a city at the edge of a massive lake. A crescent of skyscrapers lined the shore. Behind them, stretching out to the western horizon, was a vast grid of snow-covered neighborhoods and roads.

"Chicago," Jason said.

"One problem down," Leo stated. "We got here alive. Now, how do we find the storm spirits?"

Jason saw a flash of movement below them. At first he thought it was a small plane, but it was too small, too dark and fast. The thing spiraled toward the skyscrapers, weaving and changing shape—and, just for a moment it became the smoky figure of a horse.

"How about we follow that one," Jason suggested, "and see where it goes?"

"Ooh, _yay_. More suicidal stunts; we should get paid for this."

 **XXXXX**

"Speed up!" Jason urged, worried that they would lose the fast-moving storm spirit.

"Bro," Leo said. "If I get any closer, he'll spot us. Bronze dragon ain't exactly a stealth plane."

"Slow down!" Piper yelped.

Riss shook her head quickly, "Someone decide!"

The storm spirit dove into the grid of downtown streets. Festus tried to follow, but his wingspan was way too wide. His left wing clipped the edge of a building, slicing off a stone gargoyle before Leo pulled up.

"Bad idea, _bad idea_ ," Riss chanted, eyes clamped shut. When Festus was flying smoothly through the clouds, Riss wasn't too bad. But now, they were _way_ too close to falling from the sky again for comfort.

"Get above the buildings," Jason suggested. "We'll track him from there."

"You want to drive this thing?" Leo grumbled but he did what Jason asked.

After a few minutes, Jason spotted the storm spirit again, zipping through the streets with no apparent purpose—blowing over pedestrians, ruffling flags, making cars swerve.

"Oh great," Piper said. "There're two."

" _Joy_."

Piper was right. A second _ventus_ blasted around the corner of the Renaissance Hotel and linked up with the first. They wove together in a chaotic dance, shooting to the top of a skyscraper, bending a radio tower, and diving back down toward the street.

"Those guys do not need any more caffeine," Leo said.

"I guess Chicago's a good place to hang out," Piper said. "Nobody's going to question a couple more evil winds."

"More than a couple," Jason said. "Look."

The dragon circled over a wide avenue next to a lake-side park. Storm spirits were converging—at least a dozen of them, whirling around a big public art installation.

"Which one do you think is Dylan?" Leo asked. "I wanna throw something at him."

Riss grinned shakily, "Yeah, try a hammer. Or a small building."

But Jason focused on the art installation. The closer they got to it, the faster his heart beat. It was just a public fountain, but it was unpleasantly familiar. Two five-story monoliths rose from either end of a long granite reflecting pool. The monoliths seemed to be built of video screens, flashing the combined image of a giant face that spewed water into the pool.

Maybe it was just a coincidence, but it looked like a high-tech, super-size version of that ruined reflecting pool he'd seen in his dreams, with those two dark masses jutting from either end. As Jason watched, the image on the screens changed to a woman's face with her eyes closed.

"Leo…" he said nervously.

"I see her," Leo acknowledge, nodding slowly. "I don't like her, but I see her."

Riss stiffened, her eyes glowing bright green, " _Ga—_ "

The girl cut herself off, slumping back against Jason's chest as the screens went dark. The boy gripped Riss' shoulders in worry but she was already beginning to wake up from her moment of unconsciousness. The _venti_ swirled together into a single funnel cloud and skittered across the fountain, kicking up a waterspout almost as high as the monoliths. They got to its center, popped off a drain cover, and disappeared underground.

"Did they just go down a drain?" Piper asked. "How are we supposed to follow them?"

"Maybe we shouldn't," Leo said. "That fountain thing is giving me seriously bad vibes. And aren't we supposed to, like, beware the earth?"

Jason felt the same way, but they had to follow. It was their only way forward. They had to find Hera, and they now had only two days until the solstice. Jason gently nudged Riss into a sitting position, the girl now properly awake.

"Put us down in that park," he suggested. "We'll check it out on foot."

Riss rubbed at her head, "I'm adding that to my list of 'Bad Ideas from Jason.'"

Jason nudged her gently with his elbow and she grinned over her shoulder. Riss' nose was crinkled up, her hair was messy and her clothes were dirty but in that moment – like most moments, Jason had started noticing – Nerissa Jackson's eyes twinkled, her smile was wide and she looked incredibly beautiful.

The dimples stood out from the girl's cheeks, a healthy tan tinting her skin and long, lithe fingers ran through Jason's hair again as Riss assured him, "Don't worry, Jase, Leo has just as many bad ideas as you do."

Leo made a noise of disagreement and slapped Riss' arm. Riss retaliated, slapping the Latino boy over the back of the head lightly. Leo began grumbling and the Jackson girl laughed, tossing her head back so it laid on Jason's shoulder.

And in that moment, Jason knew he was screwed.

 **XXXXX**

Festus landed in an open area between the lake and the skyline. The signs said _Grant Park_ , and Jason imagined it would've been a nice place in the summer; but now it was a field of ice, snow, and salted walkways. The dragon's hot metal feet hissed as they touched down. Festus flapped his wings unhappily and shot fire into the sky, but there was no one around to notice. The wind coming off the lake was bitter cold. Anyone with sense would be inside. Jason's eyes stung so badly, he could barely see.

They dismounted, and Festus the dragon stomped his feet. One of his ruby eyes flickered, appearing like he was blinking.

"Is that normal?" Jason asked.

Leo pulled a rubber mallet from his tool bag. He whacked the dragon's bad eye, and the light went back to normal. Riss pursed her lips, she knew Festus was durable and that it hadn't hurt the gold dragon but she still ran her hand gently down Festus' snout. The dragon bent down and nuzzled into Riss' stomach, leaning into the demigod's touch. He was a giant, bronze dragon but he really was like an oversized puppy.

"Yes," Leo said. "Festus can't hang around here, though, in the middle of the park. They'll arrest him for loitering. Maybe if I had a dog whistle …" He rummaged in his tool belt, but came up with nothing.

"Too specialized?" he guessed. "Okay, give me a safety whistle. They got that in lots of machine shops."

This time, Leo pulled out a big plastic orange whistle. "Coach Hedge would be jealous! Okay, Festus, listen." Leo blew the whistle. The shrill sound probably rolled all the way across Lake Michigan. "You hear that, come find me, okay? Until then, you fly wherever you want. Just try not to barbecue any pedestrians."

The dragon snorted—hopefully in agreement. Then he spread his wings and launched into the air.

"Be careful!" Riss called after the dragon, sounding like an overprotective mother.

Piper took one step and winced. "Ah!"

"Your ankle?" Jason felt bad he'd forgotten about her injury back in the Cyclops factory. "That nectar we gave you might be wearing off."

"And that ambrosia," Riss added, Jason shooting her a look. Riss ignored him and just spoke to Piper. "As soon as we stop, I'll heal it for you."

"It's fine." She shivered, and Jason remembered his promise to get her a new snowboarding coat. He hoped he lived long enough to find her one. Riss noticed the shiver too and tossed off her leather jacket, leaving her quite comfortably in a black hoodie. Piper took the offered jacket with a 'thank you' and a smile, taking a few more steps with only a slight limp, but Jason could tell she was trying not to grimace.

"Let's get out of the wind," he suggested.

"Down a drain?" Piper shuddered. "Sounds cozy."

They wrapped themselves up as best they could and headed toward the fountain.

 **XXXXX**

According to the plaque, it was called Crown Fountain. All the water had emptied out except for a few patches that were starting to freeze. It didn't seem right to Jason that the fountain would have water in it in the winter anyway. Then again, those big monitors had flashed the face of their mysterious enemy Dirt Woman. Nothing about this place was right.

They stepped to the center of the pool. No spirits tried to stop them. The giant monitor walls stayed dark. The drain hole was easily big enough for a person, and a maintenance ladder led down into the gloom.

Jason tried to go first but Riss had already moved around him, and instead of climbing the ladder normally, produced a pair of black gloves from her back pocket and elegantly slid down the sides of the ladder. Jason rolled his eyes with a grin and went next. As he climbed, he braced himself for horrible sewer smells, but it wasn't that bad. The ladder dropped into a brickwork tunnel running north to south. The air was warm and dry, with only a trickle of water on the floor.

Piper and Leo climbed down after him.

"Are all sewers this nice?" Piper wondered.

"No," Leo and Riss said at the same time and exchanged a look. Leo kept talking, "Trust me."

Jason frowned. "How do you know—?"

"Hey, man, I ran away six times. I've slept in some weird places, okay? Now, which way do we go?"

None of the demigods questioned how Riss knew, the girl had started running her fingers over her necklace. Jason tilted his head, listening, then pointed south. "That way."

"How can you be sure?" Piper asked.

"There's a draft blowing south," Jason said. "Maybe the _venti_ went with the flow." It wasn't much of a lead, but nobody offered anything better.

Unfortunately, as soon as they started walking, Piper stumbled. Riss just so happened to be beside Piper and stumbled into Jason when Piper fell on her. Jason's arms shot out, catching Riss, who caught Piper.

"Stupid ankle," Piper cursed.

Riss helped the girl move closer to the wall. "It's okay. I can barely see straight anyway. The ambrosia is wearing off for me too."

Jason felt even worse now. Riss had been knocked unconscious back in Monocle Motors and there was a thin line over her eyebrow where a cut, one that Jason hadn't seen, had healed. He'd briefly wondered if she had been awake when the Cyclopes had taken them but he'd forgotten to ask.

"Let's rest," Jason decided. "We could all use it. We've been going nonstop for over a day. Leo, can you pull any food from that tool belt besides breath mints?"

"Thought you'd never ask. Chef Leo is on it!"

Piper and Jason sat on a brick ledge while Leo shuffled through his pack. Riss didn't sit, instead leaning against one side of the sewer and watching like a hawk for danger.

Jason was glad to rest. He was still tired and dizzy, and hungry, too. But mostly, he wasn't eager to face whatever lay ahead. He turned his gold coin in his fingers.

 _If you are to die_ , Hera had warned, _it will be by her hand_.

Whoever 'her' was. After Khione, the Cyclops mother, and the weird sleeping lady, the last thing Jason needed was another psycho villainess in his life. He already had to deal with Riss, who he was sure would make an amazing villainess if she tried.

"It wasn't your fault," Piper said.

He looked at her blankly. "What?"

"Getting jumped by the Cyclopes," she said. "It wasn't your fault."

He looked down at the coin in his palm. "I was stupid. I left you alone and walked into a trap. I should've known…"

He didn't finish. Riss was sure that he blamed himself, even though Piper told him not to. She and Percy had lot of people – _friends_ – over the years and they blamed themselves for a lot of their deaths. Charles Beckendorf if they had been faster, stronger; Silena Beauregard if they had noticed quicker; _Luke Castellan_ if they…It hurt and even when they were told not to blame themselves it was hard not to.

"Hey." Piper nudged his arm. "Cut yourself some slack. Just because you're the son of Zeus doesn't mean you're a one-man army."

"She's right, you know?" Piper and Jason looked up at the green-eyed girl, who was staring off at something they couldn't see. "Perce and I…we've lost so, _so_ many and we'll never forget them or forgive ourselves for just _letting_ it happen. But we've… _accepted_ , I suppose you could say, that we tried to do the best we could. And I hope that wherever they are, they can forgive us for not saving them."

A few feet away, Leo lit a small cooking fire. He hummed as he pulled supplies out of his pack and his tool belt, oblivious to what Riss just said. Jason stared steadily at Riss, watching, _searching_ for a reaction but she looked completely blank. He even called her name a few times but Riss Jackson stood still, lost in her own thoughts.

Feeling defeated, Jason turned back to face the Cherokee girl. In the firelight, Piper's eyes seemed to dance. Jason had been studying them for days now, and he still couldn't decide what color they were.

"I know this must suck for you," he said. "Not just the quest, I mean. The way I appeared on the bus, the Mist messing with your mind, and making you think I was…you know."

Piper dropped her gaze. "Yeah, well. None of us asked for this. It's not your fault."

She tugged at the little braids on each side of her head. Again, Jason thought how glad he was that she'd lost the Aphrodite blessing. With the makeup and the dress and the perfect hair, she'd looked about twenty-five, glamorous, and completely out of his league. He'd never thought of beauty as a form of power, but that's the way Piper had seemed—powerful.

He liked regular Piper better—someone he could hang out with. But the weird thing was, he couldn't quite get that other image out of his head. It hadn't been an illusion. That side of Piper was there too. She just did her best to hide it.

Jason's eyes drifted back to Riss, analysing the way she stood and acted. She was so powerful – like a soldier about to go into battle. He didn't doubt that Riss had gone through a lot, but he somehow knew not to ask. The image of beautiful Piper was fresh in his mind but Riss…Riss was beautiful without trying, without blessings from Aphrodite. He couldn't help but feel that Riss was similar to someone he used to know but she was nicer, kind, stronger, in Jason's eyes and far, far more beautiful, with all her flaws.

"Back in the factory," Jason said, not glancing away from Nerissa, "you were you going to say something about your dad."

Piper traced her finger over the bricks, almost like she was writing out a scream she didn't want to vocalize. She looked up to see Jason staring at Riss; the green-eyed girl was unresponsive, only blinking and breathing. "Was I?"

"Piper," he said, "he's in some kind of trouble, isn't it?"

Over at the fire, Leo stirred some sizzling bell peppers and meat in a pan. "Yeah, baby! Almost there."

Piper looked on the verge of tears. "Jason…I can't talk about it."

"We're your friends. Let us help."

That seemed to make her feel worse. She took a shaky breath. "I wish I could, but—"

"And bingo!" Leo announced.

He came over with four plates stacked on his arms like a waiter. Jason had no idea where he'd gotten all the food, or how he'd put it together so fast, but it looked amazing: pepper and beef tacos with chips and salsa. "Leo," Piper said in amazement. "How did you—?"

"Chef Leo's Taco Garage is fixing you up!" he said proudly. "And by the way, it's tofu, not beef, beauty queen, so don't freak. Just dig in!"

 **XXXXX**

Jason wasn't sure about tofu, but the tacos tasted as good as they smelled. Riss didn't touch her food until Jason practically dragged her down to sit beside him and almost had to direct her hand to the plate and then to her mouth. Even then, as she ate, Riss used a small amount of water to heal Piper. While they ate, Leo tried to lighten the mood and joke around. Jason was grateful Leo was with them. It made being with Piper a little less intense and uncomfortable. It made Riss' current state a little less troubling but Jason kept a watchful eye on her. At the same time, he kind of wished he was alone with her; but he chided himself for feeling that way.

After Piper ate, Jason encouraged her to get some sleep. Without another word, she curled up, put her head in Jason's lap but then seemed to change her mind, shifted, and placed her head in Riss' lap instead. In two seconds she was snoring.

Jason looked up at Leo, who was obviously trying not to laugh. Riss sat still, her spine straight, but after a few seconds, she began to run her fingers lightly through Piper's hair.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, drinking lemonade Leo had made from canteen water and powdered mix.

"Good, huh?" Leo grinned.

"You should start a stand," Jason said. "Make some serious coin."

But as he stared at the embers of the fire, something began to bother him. "Leo…about this fire stuff you can do…is it true?" Leo's smile faltered.

"Yeah, well …" He opened his hand. A small ball of flame burst to life, dancing across his palm.

"That is so cool," Jason said. "Why didn't you say anything?"

Leo closed his hand and the fire went out. "Didn't want to look like a freak."

"I have lightning and wind powers," Jason reminded him. "Piper can turn beautiful and charm people into giving her BMWs. Riss can breathe underwater, control ice and water and a whole bunch of things I don't even know about. You're no more a freak than we are. And, hey, maybe you can fly, too. Like jump off a building and yell, 'Flame on!'"

Leo snorted. "If I did that, you would see a flaming kid falling to his death, and I would be yelling something a little stronger than 'Flame on!' Trust me, Hephaestus cabin doesn't see fire powers as cool. Nyssa told me they're super rare. When a demigod like me comes around, bad things happen. Really bad."

"Don't pull a Johnny Storm, please," Riss said quietly. It was the first time she'd spoken in a while but her eyes were still glazed over. "Nyssa is just superstitious. Your powers _are_ rare and dangerous but with the right training, you will have complete and utter control. You're special, Leo, and a good person. Don't ever think otherwise."

Leo smiled lightly, "Thank you, R— _Nerissa._ " The use of her full name showed how grateful the Valdez boy was and Riss nodded, blankly staring ahead again.

"Maybe it's the other way around," Jason suggested. "Maybe people with special gifts show up when bad things are happening because that's when they're needed most."

Leo cleared away the plates. "Maybe. But I'm telling you…it's not always a gift."

Jason fell silent. "You're talking about your mom, aren't you? The night she died."

Leo didn't answer. He didn't have to. The fact that he was quiet, not joking around—that told Jason enough.

"Leo, her death wasn't your fault. Whatever happened that night—it wasn't because you could summon fire. This Dirt Woman, whoever she is, has been trying to ruin you for years, mess up your confidence, take away everything you care about. She's trying to make you feel like a failure. You're not. You're important."

"That's what she said." Leo looked up, his eyes full of pain. "She said I was meant to do something important—something that would make or break that big prophecy about the seven demigods. That's what scares me. I don't know if I'm up to it."

Jason wanted to tell him everything would be all right, but it would've sounded fake. Jason didn't know what would happen. They were demigods, which meant sometimes things didn't end okay. Sometimes you got eaten by the Cyclops.

If you asked most kids, 'Hey, you want to summon fire or lightning or water or magical makeup?' they'd think it sounded pretty cool. But those powers went along with hard stuff, like sitting in a sewer in the middle of winter, running from monsters, losing your memory, watching your friends almost get cooked, and having dreams that warned you of your own death.

Leo poked at the remnants of his fire, turning over red-hot coals with his bare hand. "You ever wonder about the other five demigods? I mean…if we're three of the ones from the Great Prophecy, who are the others? Where are they?"

Jason had thought about it, all right, but he tried to push it out of his mind. He had a horrible suspicion that he would be expected to lead those other demigods, and he was afraid he would fail. _You'll tear each other apart_ , Boreas had promised.

Jason had been trained never to show fear. He was sure of that from his dream with the wolves. He was supposed to act confident, even if he didn't feel it. But Leo and Piper, even Riss, were depending on him, and he was terrified of failing them. If he had to lead a group of seven—seven who might not get along—that would be even worse.

The blue-eyed boy glanced over to look at Riss, who was now sound asleep, her head slumped against Jason's shoulder.

"I don't know," he said at last. "Riss mentioned that she, Annabeth and her brother, Percy, were the main three she prophesied and then us. I guess the other two will show up when the time is right. Who knows? Maybe they're on some other quest right now."

Leo grunted. "I bet their sewer is nicer than ours."

The draft picked up, blowing toward the south end of the tunnel.

"Get some rest, Leo," Jason said. "I'll take first watch."

 **XXXXX**

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 **Riss is a bean. And I love writing Poseidon and Triton so much. Zeus may make an appearance soon.**

 **So, some really good guesses for the gold woman but I promise, she will be revealed. All in due time.**

 **In this chapter, Riss is more distant and guarded than she usually is and she blames herself for most of the deaths that have occured around her. That is for a reason, not for Riss to seem like a heart-broken character who wants attention. Just saying.**

 **Five reviews for the next chapter please!**

 **Please also review, favorite and follow.**

 **~ Raven**


	11. LAMBDA

**_LAMBDA | M' FOR 'MACY'S' ISN'T EVIL ENOUGH_**

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Heroes of Olympus series or any of the characters. I only own the character Nerissa Jackson and her original plot lines and dialogue.**

* * *

 **THE CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO _NicoleR85_ , _yasminasfeir1_ , _Arianna Le Fay_ AND _Guest_. THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING! THIS CHAPTER IS A BIT SHORT BUT I HOPE YOU LIKE IT ANYWAY!**

* * *

It was hard to measure time, but Jason figured his friends slept for about four hours. Jason didn't mind. Now that he was resting, he didn't really feel the need for more sleep. He'd been conked out long enough on the dragon. Plus, he needed time to think about the quest, his sister Thalia, and Hera's warnings. He also didn't mind Riss using him for a pillow. Her breathing was slow and steady and when she'd moved during the night, her eyes lashes brushed his jaw and her warm breath tickled his neck. Riss' proximity made Jason's stomach flip and he was almost disappointed when she woke up.

Finally they broke camp and started down the tunnel.

It twisted and turned and seemed to go on forever. Jason wasn't sure what to expect at the end—a dungeon, a mad scientist's lab, or maybe a sewer reservoir where all Porta-Potty sludge ends up, forming an evil toilet face large enough to swallow the world.

Instead, they found polished steel elevator doors, each one engraved with a cursive letter M. Next to the elevator was a directory, like for a department store.

"M for Macy's?" Piper guessed. "I think they have one in downtown Chicago."

Riss shrugged, "I met an 'Aunty M' once – she turned out to be Medusa. We have to be careful." The girl had been a bit more responsive after she woke up but Jason still saw the haunted look in her eyes, like something she remembered was still running through her head and stepping on good thoughts. The change in Riss had been sudden, brought on by a tidal wave of guilt and only now was the tsunami receding.

"Or Monocle Motors still?" Leo said. "Guys, read the directory. It's messed up."

Parking, Kennels, Main Entrance: Sewer Level

Furnishings and Café M: 1

Women's Fashion and Magical Appliances: 2

Men's Wear and Weaponry: 3

Cosmetics, Potions, Poisons Sundries: 4

"Kennels for what?" Piper said. "And what kind of department store has its entrance in a sewer?"

"Or sells poisons," Leo said. "Man, what does 'sundries' even mean? Is that like underwear?"

Jason took a deep breath. "When in doubt, start at the top."

"Or the bottom," Riss suggested with a nonchalant shrug. "We'll probably end up in the Underworld anyway. Let's go."

 **XXXXX**

The doors slid open on the fourth floor, and the scent of perfume wafted into the elevator. Jason stepped out first, sword ready.

"Guys," he said. "You've got to see this."

Piper joined him and caught her breath. "This is not Macy's."

The department store looked like the inside of a kaleidoscope. The entire ceiling was a stained glass mosaic with astrological signs around a giant sun. The daylight streaming through it washed everything in a thousand different colors. The upper floors made a ring of balconies around a huge central atrium, so they could see all the way down to the ground floor. Gold railings glittered so brightly, they were hard to look at.

Aside from the stained glass ceiling and the elevator, the demigods couldn't see any other windows or doors, but two sets of glass escalators ran between the levels. The carpeting was a riot of oriental patterns and colors, and the racks of merchandise were just as bizarre. There was too much to take it at once, but they saw normal stuff like shirt racks and shoe trees mixed in with armored manikins, beds of nails, and fur coats that seemed to be moving.

"Quite a bit nicer actually," Riss decided. "But the last Macy's I went to wasn't great."

"Why not?" Piper asked.

Riss frowned gently, "I had just finished blowing it up with Greek fire."

Leo stepped to the railing and looked down. "Check it out."

In the middle of the atrium a, fountain sprayed water twenty feet into the air, changing color from red to yellow to blue. The pool glittered with gold coins, and on either side of the fountain stood a gilded cage—like an oversize canary cage.

Inside one, a miniature hurricane swirled, and lightning flashed. Somebody had imprisoned the storm spirits, and the cage shuddered as they tried to get out. In the other, frozen like a statue, was a short, buff satyr, holding a tree-branch club.

"Coach Hedge!" Piper said. "We've got to get down there."

A voice said, "May I help you find something?" All four of them jumped back.

A woman had just appeared in front of them. She wore an elegant black dress with diamond jewelry, and she looked like a retired fashion model —maybe fifty years old, though it was hard for Jason to judge. Her long dark hair swept over one shoulder, and her face was gorgeous in that surreal super-model way—thin and haughty and cold, not quite human. With their long red-painted nails, her fingers looked more like talons.

She smiled. "I'm so happy to see new customers. How may I help you?"

Leo glanced at Jason like, 'All yours.'

"Um," Jason started, "is this your store?"

The woman nodded. "I found it abandoned, you know. I understand so many stores are, these days. I decided it would make the perfect place. I love collecting tasteful objects, helping people, and offering quality goods at a reasonable price. So this seemed a good … how do you say … first acquisition in this country."

She spoke with a pleasing accent, but Jason couldn't guess where from. Clearly she wasn't hostile, though. Riss had snorted at 'tasteful objects' and was still on guard but Jason started to relax. Her voice was rich and exotic; Jason wanted to hear more.

"So you're new to America?" he asked.

"I am…new," the woman agreed. "I am the Princess of Colchis. My friends call me Your Highness. Now, what are you looking for?"

Jason had heard of rich foreigners buying American department stores. Of course most of the time they didn't sell poisons, living fur coats, storm spirits, or satyrs, but still—with a nice voice like that, the Princess of Colchis couldn't be all bad.

Piper poked him in the ribs. "Jason…"

"Um, right. Actually, Your Highness…" He pointed to the gilded cage on the first floor. "That's our friend down there, Gleeson Hedge. The satyr. Could we…have him back, please?"

"Of course!" the princess agreed immediately. "I would love to show you my inventory. First, may I know your names?"

Jason hesitated. It seemed like a bad idea to give out their names. A memory tugged at the back of his mind—something Hera had warned him about, but it seemed fuzzy. Riss' hand shot out to his arm, like she was warning him against it. She couldn't even think of who this woman might be, all that was in her head was a cold, quiet voice whispering 'forget.'

On the other hand, Her Highness was on the verge of cooperating. If they could get what they wanted without a fight, that would be better. Besides, this lady didn't seem like an enemy.

Piper started to say, "Jason, I wouldn't—"

"This is Piper and…Sally," he said. Even though he wanted to tell the princess Riss' name, he felt like it would be best to go with Sally again. Something, the smallest thing in the back of his mind, told him not to reveal who Riss was until she was ready to. "This is Leo. I'm Jason."

The princess fixed her eyes on him and, just for a moment, her face literally glowed, blazing with so much anger, Jason could see her skull beneath her skin. Jason's mind was getting blurrier, but he knew something didn't seem right. Then the moment passed, and Her Highness looked like a normal elegant woman again, with a cordial smile and a soothing voice.

"Jason. What an interesting name," she said, her eyes as cold as the Chicago wind. "I think we'll have to make a special deal for you. Come, children. Let's go shopping."

Piper and Riss exchanged a look and Riss muttered, "This is such a bad idea. I've never been more terrified to go shopping in my life."

 **XXXXX**

Piper wanted to run for the elevator and she knew Riss felt the same.

Her second choice: attack the weird princess now, because she was sure a fight was coming. The way the lady's face glowed when she'd heard Jason's name had been bad enough. Now Her Highness was smiling like nothing had happened, and Jason and Leo didn't seem to think anything was wrong. Riss was the only one that showed any sign other than Piper, her hand was tightly gripping Jason's, who didn't seem fazed by it.

The princess gestured toward the cosmetics counter. "Shall we start with the potions?"

"Cool," Jason said, happy with the suggestion.

"Guys," Piper interrupted, "we're here to get the storm spirits and Coach Hedge. If this—princess—is really our friend—"

"Oh, I'm better than a friend, my dear," Her Highness said. "I'm a saleswoman."

"Those are the worst kind," Riss retorted.

Her diamonds sparkled, and her eyes glittered like a snake's—cold and dark. "Don't worry. We'll work our way down to the first floor, eh?"

Leo nodded eagerly. "Sure, yeah! That sounds okay. Right, Piper?"

Piper did her best to stare daggers at him: No, it is not okay! Riss tugged on Jason's arm, trying to pull him away. Jason only pulled Riss into his chest and held onto her tightly. Her Highness' eyes narrowed and seemed to blaze at the two but she continued on like he hadn't happened.

"Of course it's okay." Her Highness put her hands on Leo's and Jason's shoulders and steered them toward the cosmetics. "Come along, boys." Piper didn't have much choice except to follow and neither did Riss, who was still in Jason's embrace.

Piper hated department stores—mostly because she'd gotten caught stealing from several of them. Well, not exactly caught, and not exactly stealing. She'd talked salesmen into giving her computers, new boots, a gold ring, once even a lawn mower, though she had no idea why she wanted one. She never kept the stuff. She just did it to get her dad's attention. Usually she talked her neighborhood UPS guy into taking the stuff back. But of course the salesmen she duped always came to their senses and called the police, who eventually tracked her down.

Anyway, she wasn't thrilled to be back in a department store—especially one run by a crazy princess who glowed in the dark. 'Like a psychotic glow-stick,' Riss had described her.

"And here," the princess said, "is the finest assortment of magical mixtures anywhere."

The counter was crammed with bubbling beakers and smoking vials on tripods. Lining the display shelves were crystal flasks—some shaped like swans or honey bear dispensers. The liquids inside were every color, from glowing white to polka-dotted. And the smells—ugh! Some were pleasant, like fresh-baked cookies or roses, but they were mixed with the scents of burning tires, skunk spray, and gym lockers. Riss' eyes were wide, she'd always had a small interest in potions but after the Circe's-island-guinea-pig-brother incident, she'd been a bit more wary.

The princess pointed to a blood-red vial—a simple test tube with a cork stopper. "This one will heal any disease."

"Even cancer?" Leo asked. "Leprosy? Hangnails?"

"Any disease, sweet boy. And this vial"—she pointed to a swan-shaped container with blue liquid inside—"will kill you very painfully."

"Awesome," Jason said. His voice sounded dazed and sleepy.

"Jason," Piper said. "We've got a job to do. Remember?" She tried to put power into her words, to snap him out of his trance with charmspeak, but her voice sounded shaky even to her. This princess woman scared her too much, made her confidence crumble, just the way she'd felt back in the Aphrodite cabin with Drew. Riss was even scared, her finger nails lightly imbedded in Jason's arms—he didn't complain, so she didn't let go.

"Job to do," Jason muttered. "Sure. But shopping first, okay?"

The princess beamed at him. "Then we have potions for resisting fire—"

"Got that covered," Leo said.

"Indeed?" The princess studied Leo's face more closely. "You don't appear to be wearing my trademark sunscreen—"

"Lady, not everything is about you."

Riss' comment was ignored, "—but no matter. We also have potions that cause blindness, insanity, sleep, or—"

"Wait." Piper was still staring at the red vial. "Could that potion cure lost memory?"

Nerissa perked up at that but frowned when it got no reaction from Jason at all. "Jase?" Riss nudged him. "Come on, Jason, snap out of it."

The princess narrowed her eyes, focused completely on Piper. "Possibly. Yes. Quite possibly. Why, my dear? Have you forgotten something important?"

Piper tried to keep her expression neutral, but if that vial could cure Jason's memory… Do I really want that? She wondered.

If Jason found out who he was, he might not even be her friend. Hera had taken away his memories for a reason. She'd told him it was the only way he'd survive at Camp Half-Blood. What if Jason found out that he was their enemy, or something? He might come out of his amnesia and decide he hated Piper. He might have a girlfriend wherever he came from. Piper looked at Riss, still in Jason's arms and decided she really hoped he didn't. Even her own complicated relationship with Jason…

It doesn't matter, she decided, which kind of surprised her. Riss and Jason…

Jason always looked so anguished when he tried to remember things. Piper hated seeing him that way, as did Riss and Leo. She wanted to help him because she cared about him, even if that meant losing him. And maybe it would make this trip through Her Craziness's department store worthwhile.

"How much?" Piper asked.

The princess got a faraway look in her eyes. "Well, now…The price is always tricky. I love helping people. Honestly, I do. And I always keep my bargains, but sometimes people try to cheat me." Her gaze drifted to Jason and Riss. "Once, for instance, I met a handsome young man who wanted a treasure from my father's kingdom. We made a bargain, and I promised to help him steal it."

"From your own dad?" Jason still looked half in a trance, but the idea seemed to bother him. He frowned, placing his chin in the crook of Riss' neck, arms around her waist like she was a teddy bear. The princess eyed the pair carefully.

"Oh, don't worry," the princess said. "I demanded a high price. The young man had to take me away with him. He was quite good-looking, dashing, strong…" She looked at Piper. "I'm sure, my dear, you understand how one might be attracted to such a hero, and want to help him. You might also know about that hero not returning your feelings."

Piper tried to control her emotions, but she probably blushed. She got the creepiest feeling the princess could read her thoughts. The girl tried not to look at Riss, who looked guilty and was casually trying to get out of the blonde's arms.

Both girls also found the princess's story disturbingly familiar. Pieces of old myths Piper had read with her dad started coming together, but this woman couldn't be the one she was thinking of. Riss was instead thinking that there was a very high chance it was who she was thinking about, monsters always returned and this woman, was counted as a monster by many.

"At any rate," Her Highness continued, "my hero had to do many impossible tasks, and I'm not bragging when I say he couldn't have done them without me. I betrayed my own family to win the hero his prize. And still he cheated me of my payment."

"Cheated?" Jason frowned, as if trying to remember something important.

"That's messed up," Leo said.

Her Highness patted his cheek affectionately. "I'm sure you don't need to worry, Leo. You seem honest. You would always pay a fair price, wouldn't you?"

Leo nodded. "What were we buying again? I'll take two."

Piper broke in: "So, the vial, Your Highness—how much?"

The princess assessed Piper's clothes, her face, her posture, as if putting a price tag on one slightly used demigod. Then her eyes flicked to Riss, who was rigid in Jason's hold. The princess seemed to notice something that Piper didn't and nodded slowly.

"Would you give anything for it, my dears?" the princess asked. "I sense that you would. Both of you."

The words washed over Piper and Riss as powerfully as a good surfing wave. The force of the suggestion nearly lifted her off her feet. She wanted to pay any price. She wanted to say yes. Riss looked like she was struggling to keep her mouth closed and had placed her hands over her ears.

Then Piper's stomach twisted. Piper realized she was being charmspoken and glanced at Riss. Riss' eyes were glowing green, fighting off the effects of the charmspeak. She'd sensed something like it before, when Drew spoke at the campfire, Piper remembered that Riss hadn't seemed affected by it then, but this was a thousand times more potent. No wonder her friends were dazed. Was this was what people felt when Piper used charmspeak? A feeling of guilt settled over her.

"Shut up, princess," Riss instructed, eyes now closed too so that the princess wouldn't see them. The princess looked up, impressed at how Riss fought back. "We will not be manipulated by you—don't go naming your prices too soon."

Piper summoned all her willpower. "No, we won't pay any price. But a fair price, maybe. After that, we need to leave. Right, guys?" Just for a moment, her words seemed to have some effect. The boys looked confused and Riss just nodded vigorously.

"Yes."

"Leave?" Jason said.

"You mean…after shopping?" Leo asked.

Piper wanted to scream, but the princess tilted her head, examining Piper with newfound respect.

"Impressive," the princess said. "Not many people could resist my suggestions. Are you a child of Aphrodite, my dear? Ah, yes—I should have seen it. I am confused about your friend, however." The woman indicated Riss, noticing that she hadn't been affected her 'suggestions' either. "No matter. Perhaps we should shop a while longer before you decide what to buy, eh?"

"But the vial—"

"Now, boys." She turned to Jason and Leo. Her voice was so much more powerful than Piper's, so full of confidence, Piper didn't stand a chance. "Would you like to see more?"

"Sure," Jason said.

"Okay," Leo said.

"Excellent," the princess said. "You'll need all the help you can get if you're to make it to the Bay Area."

Piper's hand moved to her dagger. She thought about her dream of the mountaintop—the scene Enceladus had shown her, a place she knew, where she was supposed to betray her friends in two days. Riss' hand had moved to her necklace and her head was tilted, knowing that tone in the princess' voice, it was too 'time to die now' for the raven-head's liking.

"The Bay Area?" Piper asked. "Why the Bay Area?"

The princess smiled. "Well, that's where they'll die, isn't it?"

Then she led them toward the escalators, Jason and Leo still looking excited to shop.

 **XXXXX**

Piper and Riss cornered the princess as Jason and Leo went off to check out the living fur coats.

"You want them shopping for their deaths?" Piper demanded.

Riss lifted her brows, "That's actually one of the nicest ways I've been offered to die, actually. Still, I don't plan on dying anytime soon."

"Mmm." The princess blew dust off a display case of swords. "I'm a seer, my dear. I know your little secret. But we don't want to dwell on that, do we? The boys are having such fun." The princess glanced at the daughter of Poseidon, appraising her with interest, "I can't see your future, my dear. It's almost as if the Fates themselves are protecting you. Are you using some charm to block me?"

Riss looked at Piper, ignoring the woman, "Secret?" The Cherokee girl just waved it off, mumbling a promise to tell her later and Riss nodded, not entirely satisfied.

Leo laughed as he tried on a hat that seemed to be made from enchanted raccoon fur. Its ringed tail twitched, and its little legs wiggled frantically as Leo walked. Jason was ogling the men's sportswear. Boys interested in shopping for clothes? A definite sign they were under an evil spell.

Piper glared at the princess. "Who are you?"

"I told you, my dear. I'm the Princess of Colchis."

"Where's Colchis?"

The princess's expression turned a little sad. "Where was Colchis, you mean. My father ruled the far shores of the Black Sea, as far to the east as a Greek ship could sail in those days. But Colchis is no more—"

Nerissa interrupted, "Colchis was lost eons ago, so either you're supposed to be dead or you're lying. I don't think it's the latter."

"Eons?" Piper asked her friend worriedly. Riss nodded, her expression grave. The princess looked no more than fifty, but a bad feeling started settling over Piper—something King Boreas had mentioned back in Quebec. Piper looked back at the princess. "How old are you?"

The princess laughed. "A lady should avoid asking or answering that question. Let's just say the, ah, immigration process to enter your country took quite a while. My patron finally brought me through. She made all this possible." The princess swept her hand around the department store.

"Your patron." Riss and Piper had spoken at the same time, twin senses of worry settling into them. There was that word again, the one that was looming dangerously over their heads.

"Oh, yes. She doesn't bring just anyone through, mind you—only those who have special talents, such as me—"

"Is your talent being a manipulative witch?" Riss didn't mean it sarcastically, for once; she was genuinely questioning if the woman was a witch skilled in manipulation.

"—And really, she insists on so little—a store entrance that must be underground so she can, ah, monitor my clientele; and a favor now and then. In exchange for a new life? Really, it was the best bargain I'd made in centuries."

Run, Piper thought. We have to get out of here.

 **XXXXX**

Poseidon almost cried, although the Greek god would never admit it.

Riss was underground, her mind blocked from her father's reach and she was in danger. Medea was not known for being particularly forgiving. Fear gripped the sea god's heart. His daughter would be able to feel his presence if she was above ground, if she was near a water source but currently, the only water source near her was cursed fountain that obeyed Medea.

Riss was completely without help, facing an evil witch and trying to protect her two charmspoken friends. And Poseidon was devastated because he couldn't save his little girl.

But that didn't mean he'd stop trying. He was Poseidon, Greek god of the Sea, after all.

 **XXXXX**

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 **Thanks for reading!**

 **I swear, Riss blows shit up a lot.**

 **Tell me what you think! About this chapter, the new covers, anything - I love all reviews!**

 **Please review, follow and favorite!**

 **And a shameless self-promo: I have another fic out. It's for the Hunger Games and it's a Cato/OC. I would really appreciate it if you checked it out, it's called Retribution. And I promise, it's not as cheesy as it might seem at the beginning.**

 **~ Raven**


	12. MU

_**MU | FIGHTS TO THE DEATH ARE DANGEROUS, KIDS. SWORDS ARE SHARP**_

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Heroes of Olympus series or any of the characters. I only own the character Nerissa Jackson and her original plot lines and dialogue.**

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 **THE CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO** _ **NicoleR85**_ **,** _ **yasminasfeir1**_ **,** _ **Arianna Le Fay**_ **,** _ **Spunky89**_ **,** ** _Madhatterpotterhead_** **AND** ** _Guest_** **. THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING! THIS CHAPTER IS A BIT SHORT BUT I HOPE YOU LIKE IT ANYWAY!**

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Nerissa Jackson was the offensive. Perseus Jackson was the defensive.

Riss excelled in using her abilities to fight. Percy excelled in using his abilities to defend.

Nerissa would just need to be _pushed_ far enough for her to discover her true potential. There was a _plan_ for her in place and the shrouded woman was determined to see the young demigod flourish into something _amazing_.

But unfortunately, death had to come first.

 **XXXXX**

Before Piper could even turn her thoughts into words, Jason called, "Hey, check it out!"

From a rack labeled 'distressed clothing,' he held up a purple T-shirt like the one he'd worn on the school field trip—except this shirt looked as if it had been clawed by tigers. Riss' throat closed up in fear.

Jason frowned. "Why does this look so familiar?"

"Jason, it's like yours," Piper said. "Now we really have to leave." But she wasn't sure he could even hear her anymore through the princess's enchantment.

"Nonsense," the princess said. "The boys aren't done, are they? And yes, my dear. Those shirts are very popular—trade-ins from previous customers. It suits you."

"Do you pull them off their cold, dead corpses?" Riss asked. The question was morbid but she wanted to know. The person who wore that shirt was probably dead, judging by the damage done to the fabric, so how did the princess get the 'previous costumers' to 'trade-in' their clothes?

Leo picked up an orange Camp Half-Blood tee with a hole through the middle, as if it had been hit by a javelin. Next to that was a dented bronze breastplate pitted with corrosion—acid, maybe?—and a Roman toga slashed to pieces and stained with something that looked disturbingly like dried blood.

"Your Highness," Piper said, trying to control her nerves. "Why don't you tell the boys how you betrayed your family? I'm sure they'd like to hear that story."

Her words didn't have any effect on the princess but the boys turned, suddenly interested. Riss smiled, proud. Piper was an incredibly strong, smart and beautiful young woman and she was glad that she could call Piper her friend.

"More story?" Leo asked.

"I like more story!" Jason agreed.

Riss slapped a hand to her forehead, they were acting like three-year-olds.

The princess flashed Piper an irritated look. "Oh, one will do strange things for love, Piper. You should know that. I fell for that young hero, in fact, because your mother Aphrodite had me under a spell. If it wasn't for her—but I can't hold a grudge against a goddess, can I?" The princess's tone made her meaning clear: _I can take it out on you_.

"But that hero took you with him when he fled Colchis," Piper remembered. "Didn't he, Your Highness? He married you just as he promised." The look in the princess's eyes made Piper want to apologize but she didn't back down.

"At first," Her Highness admitted, "it seemed he would keep his word. But even after I helped him steal my father's treasure, he still needed my help. As we fled, my brother's fleet came after us. His warships overtook us. He would have destroyed us, but I convinced my brother to come aboard our ship first and talk under a flag of truce. He trusted me."

"And you killed your own brother," Piper said, the horrible story all coming back to her, along with a name—an infamous name that began with the letter M.

"What?" Jason stirred. For a moment he looked almost like himself. "Killed your own—"

"No," the princess snapped. "Those stories are lies. It was my new husband and his men who killed my brother, though they couldn't have done it without my deception—"

"Oh, so it was okay that _you_ didn't kill your brother yourself. Wasn't really _your_ fault. You were just aiding and abetting and proving that you were a cold-hearted cow."

"They threw his body into the sea," the princess continued, once again ignoring Riss, "and the pursuing fleet had to stop and search for it so they could give my brother a proper burial. This gave us time to get away. All this, I did for my husband. And he forgot our bargain. He betrayed me in the end."

"Shame. And you're such a catch too."

Jason still looked uncomfortable. "What did he do?"

The princess held the sliced-up toga against Jason's chest, as if measuring him for an assassination. "Don't you know the story, my boy? You of all people should. You were named for him."

"Jason," Piper said. "The original Jason. But then you're —you should be dead!"

Riss shook her head sadly, "A lot of people are dead when they should be alive. This _princess_ is an example of the opposite." Something was wrong with the balance between the living and those in the Underworld and it was the 'patron' who was orchestrating it.

The princess smiled. "As I said, a new life in a new country. Certainly I made mistakes. I turned my back on my own people. I was called a traitor, a thief, a liar, a murderess. But I acted out of love." She turned to the boys and gave them a pitiful look, batting her eyelashes. Piper could feel the sorcery washing over them, taking control more firmly than ever.

"Wouldn't you do the same for someone you loved, my dears?"

"Oh, sure," Jason said. Piper bit back a smile as she saw Jason's eyes flicker to Riss. Just for a moment but the daughter of Aphrodite's heart swelled.

"Okay," Leo said.

"Shut up, Leo!"

"Guys!" Piper ground her teeth in frustration. "Don't you see who she is? Don't you—"

"Let's continue, shall we?" the princess said breezily. "I believe you wanted to talk about a price for the storm spirits—and your satyr."

Leo got distracted on the second floor with the appliances. "No way," he said. "Is that an armored forge?"

Before Piper or Riss could stop him, he hopped off the escalator and ran over to a big oval oven that looked like a barbecue on steroids. Riss groaned but shot off after him, yelling back that she wasn't going to let 'the little elf-boy get eaten by a big, bad forge.'

When they caught up with them, Riss was holding Leo back and the princess said, "You have good taste. This is the H-2000, designed by Hephaestus himself. Hot enough to melt Celestial bronze or Imperial gold."

Jason flinched as if he recognized that term. "Imperial gold?"

The princess nodded. "Yes, my dear. Like that weapon so cleverly concealed in your pocket. To be properly forged, Imperial gold had to be consecrated in the Temple of Jupiter on Capitoline Hill in Rome. Quite a powerful and rare metal, but like the Roman emperors, quite volatile. Be sure never to break that blade…" She smiled pleasantly. "Rome was after my time, of course, but I do hear stories. And now over here—this golden throne is one of my finest luxury items. Hephaestus made it as a punishment for his mother, Hera. Sit in it and you'll be immediately trapped." Leo apparently took this as an order. He began walking toward it in a trance.

"Leo, don't!" Piper warned and Riss snatched his arm, dragging the Valdez boy back to stand beside her again.

He blinked. "How much for both?"

"Oh, the seat I could let you have for five great deeds. The forge, seven years of servitude. And for only a bit of your strength—" She led Leo into the appliance section, giving him prices on various items.

Riss turned to Piper, "Go with Leo and I'll try snapping Jason out of it."

Piper nodded without word, following Leo and the crazy princess. Riss pulled Jason aside and, with a quiet apology, slapped him across the face.

"Ow," he muttered sleepily. "What was that for?"

"Snap out of it!" The green-eyed girl hissed, grabbing Jason's hand to get him to focus on her. "Look at me, Jason!"

"What do you mean?"

"She's charmspeaking you. Can't you feel it?"

The son of Jupiter knitted his eyebrows. "She seems okay."

"She's not okay! Nothing about this is okay!" Riss whisper-yelled. "She shouldn't even be alive! She was married to Jason—the _original_ Jason—three thousand years ago. Remember what Boreas said—something about the souls no longer being confined to Hades? It's not just monsters who can't stay dead. She's come back from the Underworld!"

Jason shook his head uneasily. "She's not a ghost."

"No, I'm sure she's not! She's—"

"Children." The princess was back with Leo and Piper in tow. "If you please, we will now see what you came for. That is what you want, yes?"

Riss had to refrain from punching the princess and running her through—with her Celestial bronze and silver blade, even if the princess wasn't a monster, she'd still die. Piper had to choke back a scream. She was tempted to pull out her dagger and take on this witch herself, but she didn't like her chances—not in the middle of Her Highness's department store while two of her friends were under a spell. Piper couldn't even be sure they'd take her side in a fight, she knew Riss would, but Leo and Jason…? They had to figure out a better plan.

They took the escalator down to the base of the fountain.

"Hey," Leo said, "Coach Hedge looks okay!"

They ran to the nearest canary cage. The old satyr seemed to have been petrified at the moment he was sucked into the sky above the Grand Canyon. He was frozen mid-shout, his club raised over his head like he was ordering the gym class to drop and give him fifty. His curly hair stuck up at odd angles. If Piper just concentrated on certain details—the bright orange polo shirt, the wispy goatee, the whistle around his neck—she could imagine Coach Hedge as his good old annoying self. But it was hard to ignore the stubby horns on his head, and the fact that he had furry goat legs and hooves instead of workout pants and Nikes.

"Yes," the princess said. "I always keep my wares in good condition. We can certainly barter for the storm spirits and the satyr. A package deal. If we come to terms, I'll even throw in the vial of healing potion, and you can go in peace." She gave Piper a shrewd look. "That's better than starting unpleasantness, isn't it, dear?"

Riss felt slightly invisible and rolled her eyes. The princess was really, _really_ getting on her nerves.

 _Don't trust her_ , warned a voice in Piper's head. If she was right about this lady's identity, nobody would be leaving in peace. A fair deal wasn't possible. It was all a trick. But the boys were looking at her, nodding urgently and mouthing, _Say yes_! Riss was shaking her frantically and mouthing, _Say no_! Piper needed more to time to think.

"We can negotiate," she said.

"Totally!" Leo agreed. "Name your price."

"Leo!" Piper snapped.

Riss placed a hand over Leo's mouth, "Not how negotiating works, Valdez."

The princess chuckled. "Name my price? Perhaps not the best haggling strategy, my boy, but at least you know a thing's value. Freedom is very valuable indeed. You would ask me to release this satyr, who attacked my storm winds—"

"Who attacked us," Piper interjected.

Her Highness shrugged. "As I said, my patron asks me for small favors from time to time. Sending the storm spirits to abduct you—that was one. I assure you it was nothing personal. And no harm done, as you came here, in the end, of your own free will! At any rate, you want the satyr freed, and you want my storm spirits—who are very valuable servants, by the way—so you can hand them over to that tyrant Aeolus. Doesn't seem quite fair, does it? The price will be high."

Piper could see that her friends were ready to offer anything, promise anything. Before they could speak, Riss played the only card she had in her deck.

She smiled innocently, "Of course it will be, _Medea_."

At Riss' emphasis on her the princess' name, Piper caught on, "You helped the original Jason steal the Golden Fleece. You're one of the most evil villains in Greek mythology. Jason, Leo—don't trust her."

Piper put all the intensity she could gather into those words. She was utterly sincere, and it seemed to have some effect. Jason stepped away from the sorceress. Leo scratched his head and looked around like he was coming out of a dream.

"What are we doing, again?"

"Boys!" The princess spread her hands in a welcoming gesture. Her diamond jewelry glittered, and her painted fingers curled like blood-tipped claws. "It's true, I'm Medea. But I'm so misunderstood. Oh, Piper, Nerissa, my dears, you don't know what it was like for women in the old days. We had no power, no leverage. Often we couldn't even choose our own husbands. But I was different. I chose my own destiny by becoming a sorceress. Is that so wrong? I made a pact with Jason: my help to win the fleece, in exchange for his love. A fair deal. He became a famous hero! Without me, he would've died unknown on the shores of Colchis."

Jason—the real Jason, Riss wasn't pretentious enough to call him ' _her_ Jason'—scowled. "Then…you really did die three thousand years ago? You came back from the Underworld?"

"Death no longer holds me, young hero," Medea said.

"Well, it should."

"Thanks to my patron, I am flesh and blood again."

"You…re-formed?" Leo blinked. "Like a monster?"

Medea spread her fingers, and steam hissed from her nails, like water splashed on hot iron. "You have no idea what's happening, do you, my dears? It is so much worse than a stirring of monsters from Tartarus. My patron knows that giants and monsters are not her greatest servants. I am mortal. I learn from my mistakes. And now that I have returned to the living, I will not be cheated again. Now, here is my price for what you ask."

"Guys," Piper said. "The original Jason left Medea because she was crazy and bloodthirsty."

"Lies!" Medea said.

"On the way back from Colchis, Jason's ship landed at another kingdom, and Jason agreed to dump Medea and marry the king's daughter."

"After I bore him two children!" Medea said. "Still he broke his promise! I ask you, was that right?"

Jason and Leo dutifully shook their heads, but Riss had joined in.

"You _murdered_ your children," the girl with the sea-green eyes spat. "Your revenge was taking the lives of two, innocent children to get back at your ex! If that doesn't prove how absolutely _horrible_ and _evil_ you are, I don't know what will."

Medea snarled. "An invention to ruin my reputation! The people of the Corinth—that unruly mob—killed my children and drove me out. Jason did nothing to protect me. He robbed me of everything. So yes, I sneaked back into the palace and poisoned his lovely new bride. It was only fair—a suitable price."

"You're insane," Piper said.

"A monster I am _more_ than willing to send back to the Underworld – _the hard way_ , if I have to," Riss added, eyes blazing with anger.

"I am the victim!" Medea wailed. "I died with my dreams shattered, but no longer. I know now not to trust heroes. When they come asking for treasures, they will pay a heavy price. Especially when the one asking has the name of Jason!"

"Screw your dreams, witchy-poo! You let us leave or you meet my sword. You'll have to say 'hi' to Uncle Hades for me when you see him." Riss tugged at her sword charm on her necklace. " _Nauticus._ "

The fountain turned bright red. Piper drew her dagger, standing beside Riss who had her sword drawn, but her hand was shaking almost too badly to hold it. "Jason, Leo—it's time to go. Now."

"Before you've closed the deal?" Medea asked. "What of your quest, boys? And my price is so easy. Did you know this fountain is magic? If a dead man were to be thrown into it, even if he was chopped to pieces, he would pop back out fully formed—stronger and more powerful than ever."

"Seriously?" Leo asked.

"Leo, she's lying," Piper said. "She did that trick with somebody before—a king, I think. She convinced his daughters to cut him to pieces so he could come out of the water young and healthy again, but it just killed him!"

"Ridiculous," Medea said, and Piper could hear the power charged in every syllable. "Leo, Jason—my price is so simple. Why don't you two fight? If you get injured, or even killed, no problem. We'll just throw you into the fountain and you'll be better than ever. You do want to fight, don't you? You resent each other!"

"Don't you dare, Medea!" Riss yelled, before turning to the boys and standing between them. "Jase, Leo, _don't_!"

"Guys, no!" Piper said. But they were already glaring at each other, as if it was just dawning on them how they really felt.

Riss had never felt more useless. She'd seen this all before—the potions, the spells—but she hadn't seen Medea with her real weapon—her voice. Now, the daughter of Poseidon was holding her arm out against Leo, her sword out against Jason and desperately hoping that they would snap out of it. That they wouldn't kill each other – Nerissa had lost enough.

Leo scowled. "Jason's always the star. He always gets the attention and takes me for granted."

"You're annoying, Leo," Jason said. "You never take anything seriously. You can't even fix a dragon."

"Stop!" Piper pleaded, but both drew weapons—Jason his gold sword, and Leo a hammer from his tool belt.

Riss lifted her sword and her other arm higher, begging, " _Please,_ don't…"

"Let them go, Piper. Let Sally try to stop them and meet her own end too," Medea urged. "I'm doing you a favor. Let it happen now, and it will make your choice so much easier. Enceladus will be pleased. You could have your father back today!"

Medea's charmspeak didn't work on her, but the sorceress still had a persuasive voice. Her father back today? Despite her best intentions, Piper wanted that. She wanted her father back so much, it hurt. But Jason or Leo would die and Riss would die trying to stop them.

"You work for Enceladus," she said.

Medea laughed. "Serve a giant? No. But we all serve the same greater cause—a patron you cannot begin to challenge. Walk away, child of Aphrodite. This does not have to be your death, too. Save yourself, and your father can go free."

Leo and Jason were still facing off, ready to fight, but they looked unsteady and confused—waiting for another order. Part of them had to be resisting, Piper hoped. This went completely against their nature. Riss had drawn a small, filigree-hilted dagger and was circling with the boys, remaining in the middle.

Riss tried to block everything out, but she heard Medea talking to Piper. Piper's father had been betrayed by his secretary, had been sent into the trap of a giant. All Piper wanted was her father back and Riss' heart hurt; she had been willing to do _anything_ to get her mother back when she had been supposedly killed by the Minotaur.

The image faded of Jane, the evil secretary, and Medea turned to Piper. "There, you see?"

"You lured my dad into a trap," Piper said angrily. "You helped the giant—"

"Oh, please, dear. You'll work yourself into a fit! I've been preparing for this war for years, even before I was brought back to life. I'm a seer, as I said. I can tell the future as well as your little oracle. Years ago, still suffering in the Fields of Punishment, I had a vision of the eight in your so-called Great Prophecy. I saw your friend Leo here, and saw that he would be an important enemy someday. I stirred the consciousness of my patron, gave her this information, and she managed to wake just a little—just enough to visit him."

"Leo's mother," Piper said. "Leo, listen to this! She helped get your mother killed!"

"Uh-huh," Leo mumbled, in a daze. He frowned at his hammer. "So…I just attack Jason? That's okay?"

"Perfectly safe," Medea promised. "And Jason, strike him hard. Show me you are worthy of your namesake."

"Oh, you little witch!" Riss yelled. She knew she couldn't do anything – no charmspeak, after all – but she could yell abuse at Medea. Although, she wanted to use a lot stronger language to describe the ex-princess.

"No!" Piper ordered. She knew it was her last chance. "Jason, Leo—she's tricking you. Put down your weapons."

The sorceress rolled her eyes. "Please, girl. You're no match for me. I trained with my aunt, the immortal Circe. I can drive men mad or heal them with my voice. What hope do these puny young heroes have against me? Now, boys, kill each other!"

Riss growled low in her throat, of course this sociopathic witch was related to the original sociopathic witch. Circe still deserved a punch to the face from Riss after she turned Percy into a guinea pig. The Jackson girl pushed back against the boys' chests as they moved closer.

"Jason, Leo, listen to me." Piper put all of her emotion into her voice. For years she'd been trying to control herself and not show weakness, but now she poured everything into her words—her fear, her desperation, her anger. She knew she might be signing her dad's death warrant, but she cared too much about her friends to let them hurt each other. "Medea is charming you. It's part of her magic. You are best friends. Don't fight each other. Fight her!"

They hesitated, and Piper could feel the spell shatter. The boys looked to Riss, Leo's hammer an inch away from her head and Jason's sword was a few inches from piercing her stomach. Riss let out a sigh of relief and gave Piper a smile that said exactly how proud she was of her.

Jason blinked. "Leo, was I just about to stab you?" The boy lowered his sword, " _Through_ Riss? Oh gods, I'm sorry."

"Something about my mother…?" Leo frowned, then turned toward Medea. "You…you're working for Dirt Woman. You sent her to the machine shop." He lifted his arm. "Lady, I got a three-pound hammer with your name on it."

"Bah!" Medea sneered. "I'll simply collect payment another way."

She pressed one of the mosaic tiles on the floor, and the building rumbled. Jason swung his sword at Medea, but she dissolved into smoke and reappeared at the base of the escalator.

"You're slow, hero!" She laughed. "Take your frustration out on my pets!"

Before Jason could go after her, the giant bronze sundials at either end of the fountain swung open. Two snarling gold beasts—flesh-and-blood winged dragons—crawled out from the pits below. Each was the size of a camper van, maybe not large compared to Festus, but large enough.

"So that's what's in the kennels," Leo said meekly.

"Didn't see that one coming," Riss agreed quietly.

The dragons spread their wings and hissed. Piper could feel the heat coming off their glittering skin. One turned his angry orange eyes on her.

"Don't look them in the eye!" Jason warned. "They'll paralyze you."

"Indeed!" Medea was leisurely riding the escalator up, leaning against the handrail as she watched the fun. "These two dears have been with me a long time—sun dragons, you know, gifts from my grandfather Helios. They pulled my chariot when I left Corinth, and now they will be your destruction. Tata!"

The dragons lunged. Leo, Riss and Jason charged to intercept. Piper was amazed how fearlessly the boys and Riss attacked—working like a team who had trained together for years. Riss jumped up, using Jason's knee to propel herself up to flip over one of the dragons and stab into a small, fleshy area of skin behind the dragon's wing. It roared out in pain and Riss landed, her combat boots skidding slightly as she hit the ground. The daughter of Poseidon ran forward, sliding under the body of the dragon, slicing along the sun dragon's stomach.

Medea was almost to the second floor, where she'd be able to choose from a wide assortment of deadly appliances.

"Oh, no, you don't," Piper growled, and took off after her.

Riss concentrated on the dragons, knowing that Piper would be okay with Medea. Leo blew his safety whistle, Jason yelled to keep the dragons' attention and Riss was trying to inconspicuously shoot icy streams of water at the dragons without Medea noticing.

The black-haired girl dodged a swipe of the dragon's claws and barely swung out of the way. The sleeve of her hoodie, which was pushed up, brushed the dragon's skin and her arm exploded in a blistering pain. Riss stabbed at the dragon again and Jason appeared to help her. The pair tag-teamed, moving like partners in a deadly dance. A claw swept out and sent Riss flying into a glass cabinet, closer to Leo and the other dragon.

Leo suddenly called, "Jason, help!"

Piper risked a quick look, and almost sobbed in despair. One of the dragons had Leo pinned to the floor. It was baring its fangs, ready to snap. Jason was all the way across the room battling the other dragon, much too far away to assist. But Riss was racing towards him, the sleeve of her jacket on fire and she stabbed the sun dragon through the neck from behind. It roared, still alive, and got off Leo to face Riss, her eyes going impossibly wide. Medea was yelling, Jason was fighting, Leo was struggling up, hopefully Piper was okay – _where in Tartarus was Festus_!? The sun dragon pounced and Riss lifted her sword, just blocking the talons that were about to rip into her chest and—

 _CRASH_! The stained glass ceiling splintered in a rain of multicolored shards, and Festus the bronze dragon dropped into the department store, hurtling into the fray, snatching up a sun dragon in each claw.

"That's my boy!" Leo yelled and Riss was almost crying in happiness.

Festus flew halfway up the atrium, then hurled the sun dragons into the pits they'd come from. Leo raced to the fountain and pressed the marble tile, closing the sundials. They shuddered as the dragons banged against them, trying to get out, but for the moment they were contained.

Medea cursed in some ancient language. The whole fourth floor was on fire now. The air filled with noxious gas. Even with the roof open, Piper could feel the heat intensifying. She backed up to the edge of the railing, keeping her dagger pointed toward Medea.

"I will not be abandoned again!" The sorceress knelt and snatched up the red healing potion, which had somehow survived the crash. "You want your boyfriend's memory restored? Take me with you!"

Piper glanced behind her. Leo and Jason were on board Festus's back and Riss was yelling for Piper to hurry up, worry in her voice. The bronze dragon flapped his mighty wings, snatched the two cages with the satyr and the storm spirits in his claws, and began to ascend.

The building rumbled. Fire and the smoke curled up the walls, melting the railings, turning the air to acid. Riss hurried over to Festus, pulled up by Jason.

"You'll never survive your quest without me!" Medea growled. "Your boy hero will stay ignorant forever, he'll fall in love with your friend and your father will die. Take me with you!"

For one heartbeat, Piper was tempted. Jason back? Her father back? Then she saw Medea's grim smile. The sorceress was confident in her powers of persuasion, confident that she could always make a deal, always escape and win in the end.

"Not today, witch." Piper jumped over the side. She plummeted for only a second before Riss and Jason caught her, hauling her aboard the dragon. Riss hugged Piper tight, glad she was okay and the group of four heard Medea screaming in rage as they soared through the broken roof and over downtown Chicago.

Then the department store exploded behind them.

And Riss had to admit, she wasn't very upset.

 **XXXXX**

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 **New chapter! I hope that the first part cleared up a few questions. I'm not trying to make Riss more powerful than Percy for no reason, she's simply the more aggressive twin.**

 **I'm glad that everyone likes this story! I love writing it!**

 **5 OR MORE REVIEWS FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER PLEASE!**

 **~ Raven**


	13. NU

_**NU | DING, DONG, THE WITCH IS DEAD, THE WICKED WITCH OF SHOPPING**_

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Heroes of Olympus series or any of the characters. I only own the character Nerissa Jackson and her original plot lines and dialogue.**

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 **THE CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO** _ **NicoleR85**_ **,** ** _Broder4545_** **,** ** _Esther77_** **,** ** _DreamHunterVo_** **AND** ** _The Reviewer_** **. THANK YOU FOR REVIEWING! THE MORE REVIEWS I GET, THE SOONER I UPDATE!**

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Leo kept looking back. He half expected to see those nasty sun dragons toting a flying chariot with a screaming magical saleswoman throwing potions, but nothing followed them. Riss had her bow and arrows in her lap, prepared to shoot down any witches on broomsticks.

The Valdez boy steered the dragon toward the southwest, the smoke from the burning department store, eventually, faded in the distance but Leo didn't relax until the suburbs of Chicago gave way to snowy fields, and the sun began to set.

"Good job, Festus." He patted the dragon's metal hide. "You did awesome."

The dragon shuddered. Gears popped and clicked in his neck. Leo frowned. He didn't like those noises. If the control disk was failing again – no, hopefully it was something minor. Something he could fix.

"I'll give you a tune-up next time we land," Leo promised. "You've earned some motor oil and Tabasco sauce."

Festus whirled his teeth, but even that sounded weak. He flew at a steady pace, his great wings angling to catch the wind, but he was carrying a heavy load. Two cages in his claws plus four people on his back – the more Leo thought about it, the more worried he got. Even metal dragons had limits.

"Leo." Piper patted his shoulder. "You feeling okay?"

"Yeah…not bad for a brainwashed zombie." He hoped he didn't look as embarrassed as he felt. "Thanks for saving us back there, beauty queen. If you hadn't talked me out of that spell—"

"Don't worry about it," Piper said.

But Leo worried a lot. He felt terrible about how easily Medea had set him against his best friend. And those feelings hadn't come from nowhere – his resentment of the way Jason always got the spotlight and didn't really seem to need him. Leo did feel that way sometimes, even if he wasn't proud of it.

What bothered him more was the news about his mom. Medea had seen the future down in the Underworld. That was how her patron, the woman in the black earthen robes, had come to the machine shop seven years ago to scare him, ruin his life. That's how his mother had died –because of something Leo might do someday. So in a weird way, even if his fire powers weren't to blame, Mom's death was still his fault.

When they had left Medea in that exploding store, Leo had felt a little too good. He hoped she wouldn't make it out, and would go right back to the Fields of Punishment, where she belonged. Those feelings didn't make him proud, either.

And if souls were coming back from the Underworld…was it possible Leo's mom could be brought back?

He tried to put the idea aside. That was Frankenstein thinking. It wasn't natural. It wasn't right. Medea might've been brought back to life, but she hadn't seemed quite human, with the hissing nails and the glowing head and whatnot.

No, Leo's mom had passed on. Thinking any other way would just drive Leo nuts. Still, the thought kept poking at him, like an echo of Medea's voice.

Riss put her bow away and eyed the back of Leo's head, "You're mom is happy where she is. She would've made it the Isles." The Latino boy turned and Nerissa smiled. "She died a hero."

"We're going to have to put down soon," he warned his friends, deciding not to answer Riss but he appreciated her words. "Couple more hours, maybe, to make sure Medea's not following us. I don't think Festus can fly much longer than that."

"Yeah," Piper agreed. "Coach Hedge probably wants to get out of his canary cage, too. Question is – where are we going?"

"The Bay Area," Leo guessed. His memories of the department store were fuzzy, but he seemed to remember hearing that. "Didn't Medea say something about Oakland?"

Piper didn't respond for so long, Leo wondered if he'd said something wrong. Riss set her jaw, waiting for Piper to properly explain.

"Piper's dad," Jason put in. "Something's happened to your dad, right? He got lured into some kind of trap."

Piper let out a shaky breath. "Look, Medea said you would both die in the Bay Area. And besides…even if we went there, the Bay Area is huge! First we need to find Aeolus and drop off the storm spirits. Boreas said Aeolus was the only one who could tell us exactly where to go."

Leo grunted. "So how do we find Aeolus?"

Jason leant forward. "You mean you don't see it?" He pointed ahead of them, but Leo didn't see anything except clouds and the lights of a few towns glowing in the dusk.

"What?" Leo asked.

"That…whatever it is," Jason said. "In the air."

Leo glanced back. Piper looked just as confused as he was.

Riss, however, tilted her head, "You're the son of Jupiter. The sky is your element, so you can probably sense things in it."

"Right," Leo said. "Could you be more specific on the 'whatever-it-is' part?"

"Like a vapor trail," Jason said. "Except it's glowing. Really faint, but it's definitely there. We've been following it since Chicago, so I figured you saw it."

Leo shook his head. "Maybe Festus can sense it. You think Aeolus made it?"

"Well, it's a magic trail in the wind," Jason said. "Aeolus is the wind god. I think he knows we've got prisoners for him. He's telling us where to fly."

"Or it's another trap," Piper said.

Her tone worried Leo. She didn't just sound nervous. She sounded broken with despair, like they'd already sealed their fate, and like it was her fault. "Pipes, you all right?" he asked.

"Don't call me that."

"Okay, fine. You don't like any of the names I make up for you. But if your dad's in trouble and we can help—"

"You can't," she said, her voice getting shakier. "Look, I'm tired. If you don't mind…" She leant back against Jason and closed her eyes.

They all got the message and fell silent, letting Festus fly them to where they needed to be. He kept his course, gently curving toward the southwest and hopefully Aeolus' fortress. Another wind god to visit, a whole new flavor of crazy.

Leo had way too much on his mind to sleep, but now that he was out danger, his body had different ideas. His energy level was crashing. The monotonous beat of the dragon's wings made his eyes feel heavy. His head started to nod.

"Catch a few Z's," Jason suggested. "It's cool. Hand me the reins."

"Nah, I'm okay—"

"Leo," Jason said, "you're not a machine. Besides, I'm the only one who can see the vapor trail. I'll make sure we stay on course."

Sea-green eyes glowed for a second and Riss narrowed her eyes, "Uh…" Nerissa fell silent for a moment, "Leo, someone is calling you, I suggest you fall asleep."

"Alright, Riss, the human voice-mail machine." Leo's eyes started to close on their own. "Maybe just…" He didn't finish the sentence before slumping forward against the dragon's warm neck.

Nerissa leant forward, running her fingers over Leo's head. Jason watched her silently, a tightness in his chest at Riss' fondness of the son of Hephaestus.

"Is Piper okay?" Jason looked up quickly at Riss. "I don't like seeing her like this."

Jason nodded, "I think she's okay."

"Good." Riss adjusted the reigns in her hands, "Leo reminds me of Percy…" She didn't even know why she was telling Jason this but she was. "That same, protective feeling. Perce always pushed himself to get better, to stop people from dying…didn't always work. That's another thing Perce and I were the same at."

The son of Jupiter frowned, "You can't save everyone."

"But I should be able to." She frowned, poking out her tongue for a moment, "Gods, I sound like Anakin Skywalker."

 **XXXXX**

Leo snapped awake to Riss, Jason and Piper screaming.

They spiraled through the dark in a free fall, still on the dragon's back, but Festus's hide was cold. His ruby eyes were dim. Riss was trying desperately to wake Festus up but she knew it wasn't as simple as patting his back and yelling for him to wake up.

"Not again!" Leo yelled. "You can't fall again!"

Leo could barely hold on. The wind stung his eyes, but he managed to pull open the panel on the dragon's neck. He toggled the switches. He tugged the wires. The dragon's wings flapped once, but Leo caught a whiff of burning bronze. The drive system was overloaded. Festus didn't have the strength to keep flying, and Leo couldn't get to the main control panel on the dragon's head—not in midair. He saw the lights of a city below them—just flashes in the dark as they plummeted in circles. They had only seconds before they crashed.

"Jason!" he screamed. "Take Piper and Riss and fly out of here!"

"What?"

"We need to lighten the load! I might be able to reboot Festus, but he's carrying too much weight!"

"What about you?" Piper cried. "If you can't reboot him—"

"I'll be fine," Leo yelled. "Just follow me to the ground. Go!"

Riss shook her head at Jason, and although he didn't want to leave her, he grabbed Piper around the waist. They both unbuckled their harnesses, and in a flash they were gone—shooting into the air. Riss didn't move, instead summoning water to her in a hurricane to help lift Festus up.

"Now," Leo said. "Just you and me, Festus—and two heavy cages. You can do it, boy! You should've gone, Riss!"

"I'm not leaving you, so shut up and save our dragon!"

Leo talked to the dragon while he worked, falling at terminal velocity. He could see the city lights below him, getting closer and closer. He summoned fire in his hand so he could see what he was doing, but the wind kept extinguishing it.

He pulled a wire that he thought connected the dragon's nerve center to its head, hoping for a little wake-up jolt.

Festus groaned—metal creaking inside his neck. His eyes flickered weakly to life, and he spread his wings. Their fall turned into a steep glide.

"Good!" Leo said. "Come on, big boy. Come on!"

They were still flying in way too hot, and the ground was too close. Leo needed a place to land—fast.

There was a big river—no. Not good for a fire-breathing dragon. Maybe he could get Riss to move the water but he didn't know how deep the river was. He'd never get Festus out from the bottom if he sank, especially in freezing temperatures. Then, on the riverbanks, Leo spotted a white mansion with a huge snowy lawn inside a tall brick perimeter fence – like some rich person's private compound, all of it blazing with light. A perfect landing field. He did his best to steer the dragon toward it, and Festus seemed to come back to life.

They could make this!

Then everything went wrong. As they approached the lawn, spotlights along the fence fixed on them, blinding Leo. He heard bursts like tracer fire, the sound of metal being cut to shreds, the feel of someone shoving him backwards, out of harm's way—and _BOOM_. Leo blacked out.

 **XXXXX**

Riss could think of a million better things than having one of her arms – her _sword arm_ , mind you – trapped beneath a huge, metal dragon. Or at least, a _piece_ of the huge, metal dragon. Pain buzzed through her mind and that was all Riss could really feel.

A few metres away, Leo woke up, asking, "Where—"

"Lie still." Piper had tears in her eyes. "You rolled pretty hard when—when Festus—"

"Where is he?" Leo sat up, but his head felt like it was floating. They'd landed inside the compound. Something had happened on the way in – gunfire?

"Seriously, Leo," Jason said. "You could be hurt. You shouldn't—"

Leo pushed himself to his feet. Then he saw the wreckage. Festus must have dropped the big canary cages as he came over the fence, because they'd rolled in different directions and landed on their sides, perfectly undamaged. Festus hadn't been so lucky.

The dragon had disintegrated. His limbs were scattered across the lawn. His tail hung on the fence. The main section of his body had plowed a trench twenty feet wide and fifty feet long across the mansion's yard before breaking apart, beneath that main section, lay a lithe body. What remained of his hide was a charred, smoking pile of scraps. Only his neck and head were somewhat intact, resting across a row of frozen rosebushes like a pillow.

"No," Leo sobbed. He ran to the dragon's head and stroked its snout. The dragon's eyes flickered weakly. Oil leaked out of his ear.

"You can't go," Leo pleaded. "You're the best thing I ever fixed. It's not fair."

The dragon clicked. Long creak. Two short clicks. Creak. Creak. Almost like a pattern…triggering an old memory in Leo's mind. Leo realized Festus was trying to say something. He was using Morse code—just like Leo's mom had taught him years ago. Leo listened more intently, translating the clicks into letters: a simple message repeating over and over.

"Yeah," Leo said. "I understand. I will. I promise."

The dragon's eyes went dark. Festus was gone.

Leo cried. He wasn't even embarrassed. Piper stood beside him, patting his shoulders, saying comforting things; but the buzzing in Leo's ears drowned out their words. Jason had disappeared, moving to help Riss. She was badly hurt, her elbow bent at an unnatural angle, her shoulder nearly out of the socket and cuts lining her face and arms.

Despite his protests, Riss got up and dropped beside Leo to hug him. The boy didn't speak and only cried on Nerissa's uninjured shoulder.

Finally Jason said, "I'm so sorry, man. What did you promise Festus?"

Leo sniffled. He opened the dragon's head panel, just to be sure, but the control disk was cracked and burned beyond repair.

"Something my dad told me," Leo said. "Everything can be reused."

"Your dad talked to you?" Jason asked. "When was this?"

Leo didn't answer so Riss did, her voice lined with pain, "When I delivered the message. When he fell asleep."

The son of Hephaestus worked at the dragon's neck hinges until the head was detached. It weighed about a hundred pounds, but Leo managed to hold it in his arms. He looked up at the starry sky and said, "Take him back to the bunker, Dad. Please, until I can reuse him. I've never asked you for anything."

The wind picked up, and the dragon's head floated out of Leo's arms like it weighed nothing. It flew into the sky and disappeared.

Piper looked at him in amazement. "He answered you?"

"I had a dream," Leo managed. "Tell you later."

He knew he owed his friends a better explanation, but Leo could barely speak. He felt like a broken machine himself—like someone had removed one little part of him, and now he'd never be complete. He might move, he might talk, he might keep going and do his job. But he'd always be off balance, never calibrated exactly right.

Still, he couldn't afford to break down completely. Otherwise, Festus had died for nothing. He had to finish this quest – for his friends, for his mom, for his dragon.

He looked around, helping Riss stand, noticing how Nerissa had taken the most of the damage out of all of them. She had probably been the one to shove Leo backwards. Riss didn't say a word or complain about the pain she was in as they made their way to the large white mansion that glowed in the center of the grounds. Tall brick walls with lights and security cameras surrounded the perimeter, but now Leo could see – or rather sense – just how well those walls were defended.

"Where are we?" he asked. "I mean, what city?"

"Omaha, Nebraska," Piper said. "I saw a billboard as we flew in. But I don't know what this mansion is. We came in right behind you, but as you were landing, Leo, I swear it looked like—I don't know—"

"Lasers," Leo said. He picked up a piece of dragon wreckage and threw it toward the top of the fence. Immediately a turret popped up from the brick wall and a beam of pure heat incinerated the bronze plating to ashes.

Jason whistled. "Some defense system. How are we even alive?"

"Festus," Leo said miserably. "He took the fire. The lasers sliced him to bits as he came in so they didn't focus on you. I led him into a death trap."

"You couldn't have known," Piper said. "He saved our lives again."

"But what now?" Jason said. "The main gates are locked, and I'm guessing I can't fly us out of here without getting shot down." Leo looked up the walkway at the big white mansion. "Since we can't go out, we'll have to go in."

"Ooh, creepy freaking house, been in a few of these before. I almost die every time. Let's go." Riss pushed forward, holding her elbow to her stomach so that she didn't get more hurt, gritting her teeth. Jason and Piper exchanged a look and Jason was beside Riss in a second, lifting the light girl bridal-style, making sure not to agitate her shoulder and elbow.

Riss huffed. "I'm not an invalid."

"You sort of are."

"Shut up, Grace."

"Make me, Jackson."

 **XXXXX**

Riss was glad she'd finally been able to convince Jason to put her down, given that he would've died five times on the way to the front door if not for Leo.

First it was the motion-activated trapdoor on the sidewalk, then the lasers on the steps, then the nerve gas dispenser on the porch railing, the pressure-sensitive poison spikes in the welcome mat, and of course the exploding doorbell.

Leo deactivated all of them. It was like he could smell the traps and he picked just the right tool out of his belt to disable them.

"You're amazing, man," Jason said.

Leo scowled as he examined the front door lock. "Yeah, amazing," he said. "Can't fix a dragon right, but I'm amazing."

"Hey, that wasn't your—"

"Front door's already unlocked," Leo announced, cutting off his friend.

Piper stared at the door in disbelief. "It is? All those traps, and the door's unlocked?"

Leo turned the knob. The door swung open easily. He stepped inside without hesitation. Riss looked up at the sky for a moment before she followed after the fire-manipulator.

Before Jason could follow, Piper caught his arm. "He's going to need some time to get over Festus. Don't take it personally."

"Yeah," Jason said. "Yeah, okay."

But still he felt terrible. Back in Medea's store, he'd said some pretty harsh stuff to Leo –stuff a friend shouldn't say, not to mention the fact he'd almost skewered Leo with a sword which he had been prepared to stab _through_ Riss to get to Leo. If it hadn't been for Piper and Riss, they'd both be dead. And Piper hadn't gotten out of that encounter easily, either.

"Piper," he said, "I know I was in a daze back in Chicago, but that stuff about your dad – if he's in trouble, I want to help. I don't care if it's a trap or not."

Her eyes were always different colors, but now they looked shattered, as if she'd seen something she just couldn't cope with. "Jason, you don't know what you're saying. Please—don't make me feel worse. Come on. We should stick together." She ducked inside.

"Together," Jason said to himself. "Yeah, we're doing great with that."

 **XXXXX**

The house was dark and empty.

From the echo of Jason's footsteps he could tell the entry hall was enormous, even bigger than Boreas's penthouse; but the only illumination came from the yard lights outside. A faint glow peeked through the breaks in the thick velvet curtains. The windows rose about ten feet tall. Spaced between them along the walls were life-size metal statues. As Jason's eyes adjusted, he saw sofas arranged in a U in the middle of the room, with a central coffee table and one large chair at the far end. A massive chandelier glinted overhead. Along the back wall stood a row of closed doors.

"Where's the light switch?" His voice echoed alarmingly through the room.

"Don't see one," Leo said.

"Fire?" Piper suggested.

Leo held out his hand, but nothing happened. "It's not working."

"Your fire is out? Why?" Piper asked.

"Well, if I knew that—"

"Okay, okay," she said. "What do we do—explore?"

Riss shook her head, "Hell no."

Leo shook his head. "After all those traps outside? Bad idea."

Jason's skin tingled. He hated being a demigod. Looking around, he didn't see a comfortable room to hang out in. He imagined vicious storm spirits lurking in the curtains, dragons under the carpet, a chandelier made of lethal ice shards, ready to impale them.

Riss was indisposed, unable to use either of her arms because one was holding the other in place. She felt useless, once again, unable to use her abilities to help her friends – she couldn't even grab some ambrosia from her many-pocketed jacket, given that a) she couldn't move her arms and b) Piper was still wearing it because she was still freezing.

"Leo's right," he said. "We're not separating again—not like in Detroit."

"Oh, thank you for reminding me of the Cyclopes." Piper's voice quavered. "I needed that."

"It's a few hours until dawn," Jason guessed. "Too cold to wait outside. Let's bring the cages in and make camp in this room. Wait for daylight; then we can decide what to do."

Nobody offered a better idea, so they rolled in the cages with Coach Hedge and the storm spirits, then settled in. Riss just sat on the couch and nursed her arm, determining that her elbow was, in fact, broken, her shoulder was dislocated and that her wrist was beginning to swell up. The cuts on her face stung but other than that, they were okay.

Thankfully, Leo didn't find any poison throw pillows or electric whoopee cushions on the sofas. Leo didn't seem in the mood to make more tacos. Besides, they had no fire, so they settled for cold rations.

As Jason ate, he studied the metal statues along the walls. They looked like Greek gods or heroes. Maybe that was a good sign. Or maybe they were used for target practice. On the coffee table sat a tea service and a stack of glossy brochures, but Jason couldn't make out the words. The big chair at the other end of the table looked like a throne. None of them tried to sit in it.

While Jason wasn't studying the room, he was studying Riss, who didn't eat and moved as little as possible. He held the canteen of nectar out and tipped it to allow Riss to drink, her swan-like neck curving back to reveal scars along the back of it, usually hidden by her hair. The scars looked like a bite mark, like a large animal had tried to rip her throat out from behind.

"Where'd you get those?"

Riss bit her lip, knowing what Jason meant and now, both Leo and Piper looking at her. "Being a demigod is extremely dangerous, you can see that from one quest and it's not even over yet." The other demigods nodded. "I got to Camp Half-Blood when I was twelve – my mom had just been turned to gold dust by the Minotaur and Percy and I were just discovering that our 'twin-bond' was the least of our worries." Riss let go of her damaged arm to nibble on some ambrosia, "I'm sixteen and every single year since I found out my dad was Poseidon has been filled with me getting chased down by a monster. It was bad when I was a kid, worse when Kronos was rising to power and now it's kind of… _dulled down_ since I got blessed by the gods."

Leo opened his mouth to ask and Riss waved him off, "I'll explain later, promise. I got this scar—" She indicated her face, the thick line marred with a little bit of dried blood "—in the Junkyard of the Gods, I was thirteen. I've got a pair of claw marks on my back from the Titan War and a whole heap of other scars from that – my body has an issue healing from monster-inflicted wounds apparently, I have to have an _insane_ amount of nectar and ambrosia. The bite though? Uh, fourteen in the Labyrinth."

"The Labyrinth's real?" Piper asked, eyes wide.

"It was amazing, terrifying to get lost in but Daedalus, he made it so well. Annabeth was like an honorary protégée to him. He's dead too though…" Nerissa added, voice quiet. "A hellhound attacked me, tried to tear my throat out and Percy and Mrs O'Leary, a hellhound that used to be Daedalus' and is now mine and Percy's, saved me. It's really weird but I like to heal naturally if I can."

Leo blinked slowly, "You heal naturally when you have nectar and ambrosia, even water, near you?"

"Yeah." Riss smiled, "It helps me remember who I am and what I'm capable of. Percy and I always share the same injuries but he, ah, did something really, _really_ stupid so I got all my scars back which had previously disappeared."

Nerissa's scars had reappeared, long since after healing once Percy took his unplanned dip in the River Styx. The Jackson girl had given him so much shit for that, especially because he hadn't told her. _Little shit_. Riss and Percy had always had similar injuries and similar scars that faded but hers had reappeared after Percy no longer got hurt, because healing was no longer a joint effort.

"And…your mom?"

Riss looked up at Jason, grinning, "Oh, she's fine. Hades took her and then gave her back once we got his Helm of Darkness back to him. She married to a nice guy – one of my old teacher's actually – and she's happy, still scared shitless of what happens to me and Perce, but happy. That's all I ever want for her."

Leo and Piper stared at Riss, wide-eyed. She was the same age at them but had seen and done so much. Jason was staring appreciatively at her, recognizing her strength as something familiar. Conversation died down after that, silence broken by random comments and the _venti_.

The canary cages gave a sudden rattle, the _venti_ churning in their prison, hissing and spinning, and Jason got the uncomfortable feeling they were watching him. Coach Hedge was still frozen mid-shout, his cudgel raised. Leo was working on the cage, trying to open it with various tools, but the lock seemed to be giving him a hard time. Jason decided not to sit next to him in case Hedge suddenly unfroze and went into ninja goat mode.

Jason started to nod off, head sinking down to Riss' lap and even as he started to fall asleep, he constantly asked if she needed more nectar or more ambrosia or an extra pillow. Riss found it sweet and shook her head each time, even though her arm ached and she sat as still as possible. The couches were a little too comfortable —a lot better than a dragon's back—and Jason had taken the last two watches while his friends slept. He was exhausted.

Piper had already curled up on the other sofa. Jason wondered if she was really asleep or dodging a conversation about her dad. Whatever Medea had meant in Chicago, about Piper getting her dad back if she cooperated—it didn't sound good. If Piper had risked her own dad to save them, that made Jason feel even guiltier.

And they were running out of time. If Jason had his days straight, this was early morning of December twentieth. Which meant tomorrow was the winter solstice.

"Get some sleep," Leo said, still working on the locked cage. "It's your turn."

Jason took a deep breath. "Leo, I'm sorry about that stuff I said in Chicago. That wasn't me. You're not annoying and you do take stuff seriously—especially your work. I wish I could do half the things you can do."

Leo lowered his screwdriver. He looked at the ceiling and shook his head like, 'what am I gonna do with this guy?'

"I try very hard to be annoying," Leo said. "Don't insult my ability to annoy. And how am I supposed to resent you if you go apologizing? I'm a lowly mechanic. You're like the prince of the sky, son of the Lord of the Universe. I'm supposed to resent you."

"Lord of the Universe?"

Leo continued, "Sure, you're all— _bam_! Lightning man. And 'Watch me fly. I am the eagle that soars—'"

"—'I am one with breeze,'" Riss added teasingly. "'I am the lightning that strikes those who do not believe in the awesomeness that is _the_ Jason Grace, the only child of the almighty Z—"

"Shut up, Valdez." Jason turned to Riss, "And I thought you were on _my_ side?"

Leo managed a little smile. "Yeah, see. I do annoy you. But I annoy Riss even more and then we tag-team and kick your ass."

"Oh, yeah," the green-eyed girl added, flicking her long hair. "That's right – the ultimate fire-water team-up. Maybe we'll gender-swap it to be 'Shark-girl' and 'Lava-boy.'"

Leo raised his brows and nodded, pointing a finger at Riss in support. Jason looked between the pair.

"I apologize for apologizing."

"Thank you." Leo went back to work, but the tension had eased between them. Leo still looked sad and exhausted—just not quite so angry.

"Go to sleep, Jason," he ordered. "It's gonna take a few hours to get this goat man free. Then I still got to figure out how to make the winds a smaller holding cell, 'cause I am not lugging that canary cage to California."

"You did fix Festus, you know," Jason said. "You gave him a purpose again. I think this quest was the high point of his life." Jason was afraid he'd blown it and made Leo mad again, but Leo just sighed.

"I hope," he said. "Now, sleep, man. I want some time without you organic life forms."

"Rude," Riss drawled. She knew she wasn't going to sleep anytime soon but Jason didn't argue. He closed his eyes and had a long, blissfully dreamless sleep, kept warm by his proximity to Riss.

He only woke when the yelling started.

Which seemed to be becoming a regular thing.

 **XXXXX**

Hephaestus worried over the demigods, sensing danger quickly approaching. Festus had been torn to shreds and of the four, one of the best fighters had a damaged sword arm. But still, the god felt slightly indebted to Nerissa, having watched her deliver the message to his son and watched as she had placed Leo's safety above her own.

If she made it through this quest, however fated she was to die, Hephaestus would have a few new weapons ready for her to take to battle.

He felt that he owed her that much.

 **XXXXX**

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 **Oh, Hephaestus likes Riss too! I swear though, some gods and goddesses are gonna have real issues with her, aside from Hera and Zeus, of course. And we've got a bit more of Riss' selfless (somewhat suicidal) tendencies and Jason's worry for her. She's also scarred too (I don't want that to make her sound like a victim who needs to be coddled) and she sees them proudly as battle wounds to show what's gone up against in the past.**

 **I changed the titles of each chapters to be the Greek Alphabet. Hopefully when I write the sequel it doesn't go over 26 :)**

 **FIVE REVIEWS FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER! Thanks for reading!**

 **~ Raven**


	14. XI

_**XI | GOLD: INVEST FOR ETERNITY**_

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Heroes of Olympus series or any of the characters. I only own the character Nerissa Jackson and her original plot lines and dialogue.**

* * *

 **THE CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO** _ **NicoleR85**_ **,** ** _yasminasfeir1_** **,** ** _Spunky89_** **,** ** _TheBooksAreBetterThanTheMovies_** **AND** ** _someone_** **FOR YOUR AMAZING REVIEWS! SORRY THAT THIS CHAPTER IS SHORTER THAN THE OTHERS.**

* * *

The shouting was loud enough to snap Riss awake, the girl painfully nudging her own shoulder. She let out a low hiss as a flare of pain shot through her right arm and Jason shot up, ready to fight.

"Coach is awake," Leo said rather unnecessarily and Nerissa shot the Latino boy a 'no, duh!' face, nose still wrinkled in pain.

Gleeson Hedge was screaming, swinging his club and yelling 'Die!' as he smashed a tea set, whacked the sofa and charged at the throne.

"Coach!" Jason yelled.

Hedge turned, breathing hard. His eyes were so wild, Jason was afraid he might attack. The satyr was still wearing his orange polo shirt and his coach's whistle, but his horns were clearly visible above his curly hair, and his beefy hindquarters were all goat.

"You're the new kid," Hedge said, lowering his club. "Jason." He looked at Leo, then Piper, who'd apparently also just woken up. Her hair looked like it had become a nest for a friendly hamster.

"Valdez, McLean," the coach said. "What's going on? We were at the Grand Canyon. The _anemoi_ _thuellai_ were attacking and—" He zeroed in on the storm spirit cage, and his eyes went back to DEFCON 1. "Die!"

"Whoa, Coach!" Leo stepped in his path, which was pretty brave, even though Hedge was six inches shorter. "It's okay. They're locked up. We just sprang you from the other cage."

"Cage? Cage? What's going on? Just because I'm a satyr doesn't mean I can't have you doing plank push-ups, Valdez!"

" _Gleeson!_ " Hedge immediately froze and stared at the dangerous-looking daughter of Poseidon, who, although with a broken elbow, dislocated shoulder and overall, looked like shit, still scared the hooves off of Hedge. "Lower the club. _Now_."

Hedge lowered the cudgel to his side immediately.

Jason cleared his throat. "Coach—Gleeson—um, whatever you want us to call you. You saved us at the Grand Canyon. You were totally brave."

"Of course I was!"

"The extraction team came and took us to Camp Half-Blood. We thought we'd lost you. Then we got word the storm spirits had taken you back to their—um, operator, Medea."

"That witch! Wait—that's impossible. She's mortal. She's dead."

"Yeah," Riss scoffed. "We _all_ thought that."

"Yeah, well," Leo said, "somehow she got not dead anymore."

Hedge nodded, his eyes narrowing. "So! You were sent on a dangerous quest to rescue me. Excellent!"

"Um." Piper got to her feet, holding out her hands so Coach Hedge wouldn't attack her. "Actually, Glee—can I still call you Coach Hedge? Gleeson seems wrong. We're on a quest for something else. We kind of found you by accident."

Riss felt like she was watching a tennis match, looking between each party repeatedly.

"Oh." The coach's spirits seemed to deflate, but only for a second. Then his eyes lit up again. "But there are no accidents! Not on quests. This was meant to happen! So, this is the witch's lair, eh? Why is everything gold?"

"Gold?" Jason looked around. From the way Leo, Piper and Riss caught their breath, he guessed they hadn't noticed yet either.

The room was full of gold—the statues, the tea set Hedge had smashed, the chair that was definitely a throne. Even the curtains—which seemed to have opened by themselves at daybreak—appeared to be woven of gold fiber.

"Nice," Leo said. "No wonder they got so much security."

"This isn't—" Piper stammered. "This isn't Medea's place, Coach. It's some rich person's mansion in Omaha. We got away from Medea and crash-landed here."

Riss ran a finger over the tea cup at her feet and the gold seemed to melt away from her finger, turning back briefly to pure-white porcelain. The daughter of Poseidon raised her brows in confusion, moving her hand away. Something wasn't right about this mansion.

"It's destiny, cupcakes!" Hedge insisted. "I'm meant to protect you. What's the quest?"

Before Jason could decide if he wanted to explain or just shove Coach Hedge back into his cage, a door opened at the far end of the room.

A pudgy man in a white bathrobe stepped out with a golden toothbrush in his mouth. He had a white beard and one of those long, old-fashioned sleeping caps pressed down over his white hair. He froze when he saw them, and the toothbrush fell out of his mouth.

He glanced into the room behind him and called, "Son? Lit, come out here, please. There are strange people in the throne room."

Coach Hedge did the obvious thing. He raised his club and shouted, "Die!"

It took the entire group of four to hold back the satyr.

"Whoa, Coach!" Jason said. "Bring it down a few notches."

A younger man charged into the room. Jason guessed he must be Lit, the old guy's son. He was dressed in pajama pants with a sleeveless T-shirt that said 'cornhuskers,' and he held a sword that looked like it could husk a lot of things besides corn. His ripped arms were covered in scars, and his face, framed by curly dark hair, would've been handsome if it wasn't also sliced up.

Lit immediately zeroed in on Jason like he was the biggest threat, and stalked toward him, swinging his sword overhead.

"Hold on!" Piper stepped forward, trying for her best calming voice. "This is just a misunderstanding! Everything's fine."

Lit stopped in his tracks, but he still looked wary. It didn't help that Hedge was screaming, "I'll get them! Don't worry!"

"Shut up, Hedge!"

"Coach," Jason pleaded, "they may be friendly. Besides, we're trespassing in their house."

"Thank you!" said the old man in the bathrobe. "Now, who are you, and why are you here?"

"Let's all put our weapons down," Piper said. "Coach, you first."

Hedge clenched his jaw. "Just one thwack?"

" _No_."

"What about a compromise? I'll kill them first, and if it turns out they were friendly, I'll apologize."

"No!" Nerissa insisted this time, more forcefully than when Piper said it.

"Meh." Coach Hedge lowered his club.

Riss reached forward and grabbed the club and tossed it onto the couch. Her eyes narrowed in on Lit's sword and she smiled widely, eyes glowing with interest, "Dude, _really_ cool sword."

Even with her hair messed up, wearing two-day-old clothes and holding her right arm, which was clearly broken, Riss looked extremely cute, and Jason felt a little jealous she was giving Lit that smile. Jason stopped at the Jackson girl's side and eased a piece of ambrosia into her hand, hoping that the discomfort that wrinkled her brow would leave. The son of Jupiter hated seeing Nerissa in pain. She sent him a thankful smile that melted his insides.

Lit huffed and sheathed his sword. "You speak well, girl—fortunately for your friends, or I would've run them through."

"Appreciate it," Leo said. "I try not to get run through before lunchtime."

The old man in the bathrobe sighed, kicking the teapot that Coach Hedge had smashed. "Well, since you're here. Please, sit down."

Lit frowned. "Your Majesty—"

"No, no, it's fine, Lit," the old man said. "New land, new customs. They may sit in my presence. After all, they've seen me in my nightclothes. No sense observing formalities." He did his best to smile, though it looked a little forced. "Welcome to my humble home. I am King Midas."

"Midas? Impossible," said Coach Hedge. "He died."

"Or, he _should_ be dead," Riss narrowed her eyes.

They were sitting on the sofas now, while the king reclined on his throne. Tricky to do that in a bathrobe, and Jason kept worrying the old guy would forget and uncross his legs. Hopefully, he was wearing golden boxers under there.

Lit stood behind the throne, both hands on his sword, glancing at Piper and Riss – mainly Piper, which was something Riss was grateful for – and flexing his muscular arms just to be annoying. Jason wondered if he looked that ripped holding a sword. Sadly, he doubted it.

Piper sat forward. "What our satyr friend means, Your Majesty, is that you're the second mortal we've met who should be—sorry—dead. King Midas lived thousands of years ago."

"Interesting." The king gazed out the windows at the brilliant blue skies and the winter sunlight. In the distance, downtown Omaha looked like a cluster of children's blocks —way too clean and small for a regular city.

"You know," the king said, "I think I was a bit dead for a while. It's strange. Seems like a dream, doesn't it, Lit?"

"A very long dream, Your Majesty."

"And yet, now we're here. I'm enjoying myself very much. I like being alive better."

"But how?" Piper asked. "You didn't happen to have a…patron?"

Midas hesitated, but there was a sly twinkle in his eyes. "Does it matter, my dear?"

Riss lifted a brow, " _Yes_. Yes, it does."

"We could kill them again," Hedge suggested.

"I'm up for it."

"Riss, not helping," Jason said. "Why don't you go outside and stand guard, Hedge?"

Leo coughed. "Is that safe? They've got some serious security."

"Oh, yes," the king said. "Sorry about that. But it's lovely stuff, isn't it? Amazing what gold can still buy. Such excellent toys you have in this country!"

He fished a remote control out of his bathrobe pocket and pressed a few buttons—a pass code, Jason guessed. Nerissa narrowed her eyes at the king and his swordsman, finding that it was odd they were being let go so easily. Given that Medea, who had a patron too, had tried to kill them, it was weird that Midas was letting them go.

"There," Midas said. "Safe to go out now."

Coach Hedge grunted. "Fine. But if you need me …" He winked at Jason meaningfully. Then he pointed at himself, pointed two fingers at their hosts, and sliced a finger across his throat. Very subtle sign language.

"Yeah, thanks," Jason said.

After the satyr left, Piper tried another diplomatic smile. "So…you don't know how you got here?"

"Oh, well, yes. Sort of," the king said. He frowned at Lit. "Why did we pick Omaha, again? I know it wasn't the weather."

"The oracle," Lit said.

"Yes! I was told there was an oracle in Omaha." The king shrugged. "Apparently I was mistaken. But this is a rather nice house, isn't it? Lit – it's short for Lityerses, by the way – horrible name, but his mother insisted – Lit has plenty of wide-open space to practice his swordplay. He has quite a reputation for that. They called him the Reaper of Men back in the old days."

"Oh." Piper tried to sound enthusiastic. "How nice."

Lit's smile was more of a cruel sneer. Jason was now one-hundred-percent sure he didn't like this guy, and he was starting to regret sending Hedge outside.

"So," Jason said. "All this gold—"

The king's eyes lit up. "Are you here for gold, my boy? Please, take a brochure!"

Jason looked at the brochures on the coffee table. The title said _GOLD: Invest for Eternity_. "Um, you sell gold?"

"No, no," the king said. "I make it. In uncertain times like these, gold is the wisest investment, don't you think? Governments fall. The dead rise. Giants attack Olympus. But gold retains its value!"

Leo frowned. "I've seen that commercial."

"Oh, don't be fooled by cheap imitators!" the king said. "I assure you, I can beat any price for a serious investor. I can make a wide assortment of gold items at a moment's notice."

"But…" Piper shook her head in confusion. "Your Majesty, you gave up the golden touch, didn't you?"

The king looked astonished. "Gave it up?"

"Yes," Piper said. "You got it from some god—"

"Dionysus," Riss interrupted quietly, voice near a whisper. Her sight was beginning to get blotchy, black spots shining over her eyesight.

King Midas nodded, "I'd rescued one of his satyrs, and in return, the god granted me one wish. I chose the golden touch."

"But you accidentally turned your own daughter to gold," Piper remembered. "And you realized how greedy you'd been. So you repented."

"Repented!" King Midas looked at Lit incredulously. "You see, son? You're away for a few thousand years, and the story gets twisted all around. My dear girl, did those stories ever say I'd lost my magic touch?"

"No, just said you were a greedy _di_ —" Riss winced, cutting herself off and Jason slid his arms out to steady her, brows furrowed in worry.

"Well, I guess not," Piper bit her lip. "They just said you learned how to reverse it with running water, and you brought your daughter back to life."

"That's all true. Sometimes I still have to reverse my touch. There's no running water in the house because I don't want accidents—" Midas gestured to his statues "—but we chose to live next to a river just in case. Occasionally, I'll forget and pat Lit on the back—"

Lit retreated a few steps. "I hate that."

"I told you I was sorry, son. At any rate, gold is wonderful. Why would I give it up?"

"Well…" Piper looked truly lost now. "Isn't that the point of the story? That you learned your lesson?"

Midas laughed. "My dear, may I see your backpack for a moment? Toss it here."

Piper hesitated, not eager to offend the king. She dumped everything out of the pack and tossed it to Midas. As soon as he caught it, the pack turned to gold, like frost spreading across the fabric. It still looked flexible and soft, but definitely gold. The king tossed it back.

"As you see, I can still turn anything to gold," Midas said. "That pack is magic now, as well. Go ahead—put your little storm spirit enemies in there."

"Seriously?" Leo was suddenly interested. He took the bag from Piper and held it up to the cage. As soon as he unzipped the backpack, the winds stirred and howled in protest. The cage bars shuddered. The door of the prison flew open and the winds got vacuumed straight into the pack. Leo zipped it shut and grinned. "Gotta admit. That's cool."

"You see?" Midas said. "My golden touch a curse? Please. I didn't learn any lesson, and life isn't a story, girl. Honestly, my daughter Zoe was much more pleasant as a gold statue."

"She talked a lot," Lit offered.

"Exactly! And so I turned her back to gold." Midas pointed. There in the corner was a golden statue of a girl with a shocked expression, as if she were thinking, _Dad!_

"That's horrible!" Piper said.

"Nonsense. She doesn't mind. Besides, if I'd learned my lesson, would I have gotten these?"

Riss' lips twisted in a scowl, "Uh, she looks like she minds…a lot."

Midas ignored the Jackson girl and pulled off his oversize sleeping cap, and Jason didn't know whether to laugh or get sick. Midas had long fuzzy gray ears sticking up from his white hair—like Bugs Bunny's, but they weren't rabbit ears. They were donkey ears.

"Oh, wow," Leo said. "I didn't need to see that."

"Huh. He's an _ass_."

"Terrible, isn't it?" Midas sighed. "A few years after the golden touch incident, I judged a music contest between Apollo and Pan, and I declared Pan the winner. Apollo, sore loser, said I must have the ears of an ass, and voilà. This was my reward for being truthful. I tried to keep them a secret. Only my barber knew, but he couldn't help blabbing." Midas pointed out another golden statue—a bald man in a toga, holding a pair of shears. "That's him. He won't be telling anyone's secrets again."

The king smiled. Suddenly he didn't strike Jason as a harmless old man in a bathrobe. His eyes had a merry glow to them—the look of a madman who knew he was mad, accepted his madness, and enjoyed it. "Yes, gold has many uses. I think that must be why I was brought back, eh, Lit? To bankroll our patron."

Lit nodded. "That and my good sword arm."

Jason glanced at his friends. Suddenly the air in the room seemed much colder. Riss was fiddling with her charms with her good arm, looking about ready to jump into action, despite feeling horrible.

"So you do have a patron," Jason said. "You work for the giants."

King Midas waved his hand dismissively. "Well, I don't care for giants myself, of course. But even supernatural armies need to get paid. I do owe my patron a great debt. I tried to explain that to the last group that came through, but they were very unfriendly. Wouldn't cooperate at all." Jason slipped his hand into his pocket and grabbed his gold coin. "The last group?"

"Hunters," Lit snarled. "Blasted girls from Artemis."

"Hunters?" Riss raised her chin, "You didn't… _hurt_ them did you?"

Jason felt a spark of electricity—a literal spark—travel down his spine. He caught a whiff of electrical fire like he'd just melted some of the springs in the sofa.

His sister had been here.

"When?" he demanded. "What happened?"

Lit shrugged. "Few days ago? No, I didn't get to kill them, unfortunately. They were looking for some evil wolves, or something. Said they were following a trail, heading west. Missing demigod—I don't recall."

Riss' spine was straight in an instant, interested. Percy Jackson, Jason thought and he looked over to the other Jackson twin. Annabeth had mentioned the Hunters were looking for him. And in Jason's dream of the burned-out house in the redwoods, he'd heard enemy wolves baying. Hera had called them her keepers. It had to be connected somehow.

Midas scratched his donkey ears. "Very unpleasant young ladies, those Hunters," he recalled. "They absolutely refused to be turned into gold. Much of the security system outside I installed to keep that sort of thing from happening again, you know. I don't have time for those who aren't serious investors."

Jason stood warily and glanced at his friends. They got the message. Nerissa was glaring, probably swearing in Latin in her head.

"Well," Piper said, managing a smile. "It's been a great visit. Welcome back to life. Thanks for the gold bag."

"We're outta here now," Riss added, getting up.

"Oh, but you can't leave!" Midas said. "I know you're not serious investors, but that's all right! I have to rebuild my collection."

Lit was smiling cruelly. The king rose, and Leo and Piper moved away from him. Jason and Nerissa stood their ground.

"Don't worry," the king assured them. "You don't have to be turned to gold. I give all my guests a choice—join my collection, or die at the hands of Lityerses. Really, it's good either way."

Piper tried to use her charmspeak. "Your Majesty, you can't—"

Quicker than any old man should've been able to move, Midas lashed out and grabbed her wrist.

"No!" Jason yelled.

But a frost of gold spread over Piper, and in a heartbeat she was a glittering statue. Leo tried to summon fire, but he'd forgotten his power wasn't working. Midas touched his hand, and Leo transformed into solid metal.

Jason was so horrified he couldn't move. His friends—just gone. And he hadn't been able to stop it. Riss tugged Jason away, out of the way of the old king just as he reached forward and Riss was suddenly a gold statue as well.

Midas smiled apologetically. "Gold trumps fire, I'm afraid." He waved around him at all the gold curtains and furniture. "In this room, my power dampens all others: fire…even charmspeak. Which leaves me only one more trophy to collect."

"Hedge!" Jason yelled. "Need help in here!"

For once, the satyr didn't charge in. Jason wondered if the lasers had gotten him, or if he was sitting at the bottom of a trap pit.

Midas chuckled. "No goat to the rescue? Sad. But don't worry, my boy. It's really not painful. Lit can tell you."

Jason fixed on an idea. "I choose combat. You said I could choose to fight Lit instead."

Midas looked mildly disappointed, but he shrugged. "I said you could die fighting Lit. But of course, if you wish." The king backed away, and Lit raised his sword.

"I'm going to enjoy this," Lit said. "I am the Reaper of Men!"

"Come on, Cornhusker." Jason summoned his own weapon. This time it came up as a javelin, and Jason was glad for the extra length.

"Oh, gold weapon!" Midas said. "Very nice." Lit charged.

The guy was fast. He slashed and sliced, and Jason could barely dodge the strikes, but his mind went into a different mode—analyzing patterns, learning Lit's style, which was all offense, no defense.

Jason countered, sidestepped, and blocked. Lit seemed surprised to find him still alive.

"What is that style?" Lit growled. "You don't fight like a Greek."

"Legion training," Jason said, though he wasn't sure how he knew that. "It's Roman."

"Roman?" Lit struck again, and Jason deflected his blade. "What is Roman?"

"News flash," Jason said. "While you were dead, Rome defeated Greece. Created the greatest empire of all time."

"Impossible," Lit said. "Never even heard of them."

Jason spun on one heel, smacked Lit in the chest with the butt of his javelin, and sent him toppling into Midas's throne.

"Oh, dear," Midas said. "Lit?"

"I'm fine," Lit growled.

"You'd better help him up."

Lit cried, "Dad, no!"

Too late. Midas put his hand on his son's shoulder, and suddenly a very angry-looking gold statue was sitting on Midas's throne.

"Curses!" Midas wailed. "That was a naughty trick, demigod. I'll get you for that." He patted Lit's golden shoulder. "Don't worry, son. I'll get you down to the river right after I collect this prize."

Midas raced forward. Jason dodged, but the old man was fast, too. Jason kicked the coffee table into the old man's legs and knocked him over, but Midas wouldn't stay down for long.

Then Jason glanced at Riss' golden statue. Anger washed over him. He was the son of Zeus. He could not fail his friends.

He felt a tugging sensation in his gut, and the air pressure dropped so rapidly that his ears popped. Midas must've felt it too, because he stumbled to his feet and grabbed his donkey ears.

"Ow! What are you doing?" he demanded. "My power is supreme here!" Thunder rumbled. Outside, the sky turned black.

"You know another good use for gold?" Jason said.

Midas raised his eyebrows, suddenly excited. "Yes?"

"It's an excellent conductor of electricity."

Jason raised his javelin, and the ceiling exploded. A lightning bolt ripped through the roof like it was an eggshell, connected with the tip of Jason's spear, and sent out arcs of energy that blasted the sofas to shreds. Chunks of ceiling plaster crashed down. The chandelier groaned and snapped off its chain, and Midas screamed as it pinned him to the floor. The glass immediately turned into gold.

When the rumbling stopped, freezing rain poured into the building. Midas cursed in Ancient Greek, thoroughly pinned under his chandelier. The rain soaked everything, turning the gold chandelier back to glass. Riss, within seconds, wasn't gold anymore and she raised her arms, water swirling around the room to de-gold everything else. Piper and Leo were slowly changing too, along with the other statues in the room. Then the front door burst open, and Coach Hedge charged in, club ready. His mouth was covered with dirt, snow, and grass.

"What'd I miss?" he asked.

"Where were you?" Jason demanded. His head was spinning from summoning the lightning bolt, and it was all he could do to keep from passing out.

"I was screaming for help."

Hedge belched. "Getting a snack. Sorry. Who needs killing?"

"No one, now!" Jason said. "Just grab Leo. I'll get Piper."

"Don't leave me like this!" Midas wailed.

All around him the statues of his victims were turning to flesh—his daughter, his barber, and a whole lot of angry-looking guys with swords. Jason grabbed Piper's golden bag and his own supplies. Then he threw a rug over the golden statue of Lit on the throne. Hopefully that would keep the Reaper of Men from turning back to flesh—at least until after Midas's victims did.

"Let's get out of here," Jason told Hedge. "I think these guys will want some quality time with Midas."

"Good luck, Your Majesty," Riss smirked and leant in close. "If you know what's good for you, _never_ threaten any demigods _ever_ again…"

And the daughter of Poseidon swirled from the room, leaving the crowd and a screaming Midas behind.

 **XXXXX**

The patron cackled from within her prison.

Nerissa Jackson was powerful, _too_ powerful and she had very little choice in her life. The gods had a plan for her but it included her death and complete and utter betrayal. Oh, but if she could sway her…if the patron could sway the daughter of Poseidon to discover the truth.

The laughter echoed loudly in the cavern.

Nerissa Jackson would be hers before the end of this quest.

 **XXXXX**

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 **Thank you for the reviews! Ah, I love reading them!**

 **So, Riss is hurt, so she didn't kick butt this chapter but next chapter is the Thalia/Riss reunion. Also, one chapter closer to a 'Jerissa' (thanks** ** _DreamHunterVo_** **for the ship name) kiss!**

 **Please review, favorite and follow!**

 **~ Raven**


	15. OMICRON

_**OMICRON | A LITTLE SILVER GOES A LONG WAY...WITH WEREWOLVES**_

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Heroes of Olympus series or any of the characters. I only own the character Nerissa Jackson and her original plot lines and dialogue.**

* * *

 **THE CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO** _ **NicoleR85**_ **,** ** _yasminasfeir1_** **,** ** _Spunky89_** **,** ** _DreamHunterVo, TheBooksAreBetterThanTheMovies_** **AND** ** _someone_** **FOR YOUR AMAZING REVIEWS! I'M SO GLAD YOU LIKE THIS STORY!**

* * *

 _ **IMPORTANT A/N AT THE END! PLEASE READ!**_

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Piper woke up cold and shivering. She'd had the worst dream about an old guy with donkey ears chasing her around and shouting, ' _You're it_!'

"Oh, god." Her teeth chattered. "He turned me to gold!"

"You're okay now." Jason leaned over and tucked a warm blanket around her, but she still felt as cold as a Boread. Riss was beside her, dead asleep by the looks of it, her right arm in a sling and her brow furrowed in discomfort.

Piper blinked, trying to figure out where they were. Next to her, a campfire blazed, turning the air sharp with smoke. Firelight flickered against rock walls. They were in a shallow cave, but it didn't offer much protection. Outside, the wind howled. Snow blew sideways. It might've been day or night. The storm made it too dark to tell.

"L-L-Leo?" Piper managed.

"Present and un-gold-ified." Leo was also wrapped in blankets. He didn't look great, but better than Piper felt. "I got the precious metal treatment too," he said. "But I came out of it faster. Dunno why. We had to dunk you in the river to get you back completely. Tried to dry you off, but…it's really, really cold."

"Riss is out of it too, exerted too much power," Jason added, running a hand over the Jackson girl's hair. "You've got hypothermia. We risked as much nectar as we could. Riss' healing would be better but because she's asleep, Coach Hedge did a little nature magic—"

"Sports medicine." The coach's ugly face loomed over Piper. "Kind of a hobby of mine. Your breath might smell like wild mushrooms and Gatorade for a few days, but it'll pass. You probably won't die. Probably."

"Thanks," Piper said weakly. "How did you beat Midas?"

Jason told her the story, putting most of it down to luck.

The coach snorted. "Kid's being modest. You should've seen him. _Hi-yah_! _Slice_! _Boom_ with the lightning!"

"Coach, you didn't even see it," Jason said. "You were outside eating the lawn."

But the satyr was just warming up. "Then I came in with my club, and we dominated that room. Afterward, I told him, 'Kid, I'm proud of you! If you could just work on your upper body strength—'"

"Coach," said Jason.

"Yeah?"

"Shut up, please."

"Sure." The coach sat down at the fire and started chewing his cudgel.

Jason put his hand on Piper's forehead and checked her temperature. "Leo, can you stoke the fire?"

"On it." Leo summoned a baseball-sized clump of flames and lobbed it into the campfire.

"Do I look that bad?" Piper shivered.

"Nah," Jason said.

"You're a terrible liar," she said. "Where are we?"

"Pikes Peak," Jason said. "Colorado."

"But that's, what—five hundred miles from Omaha?"

"Something like that," Jason agreed. "I harnessed the storm spirits to bring us this far. They didn't like it—went a little faster than I wanted, almost crashed us into the mountainside before I could get them back in the bag. I'm not going to be trying that again."

"Why are we here?"

Leo sniffed. "That's what I asked him."

Jason gazed into the storm as if watching for something. "That glittery wind trail we saw yesterday? It was still in the sky, though it had faded a lot. I followed it until I couldn't see it anymore. Then—honestly I'm not sure. I just felt like this was the right place to stop."

"'Course it is." Coach Hedge spit out some cudgel splinters. "Aeolus' floating palace should be anchored above us, right at the peak. This is one of his favorite spots to dock."

"Maybe that was it." Jason knit his eyebrows. "I don't know. Something else, too…"

The Grace boy shook his head and pulled Riss into his lap. She wasn't wet – a Poseidon thing, he knew – but she was terrifyingly cold to the touch and he cradled her close, hoping to warm her up with his own body heat. Piper offered Riss' leather jacket back and Jason wrapped it around Riss' shoulders, resuming his tight hold on her, one of his arms around her waist.

"The Hunters were heading west," Piper remembered. "Do you think they're around here?"

Jason rubbed his forearm as if the tattoos were bothering him. "I don't see how anyone could survive on the mountain right now. The storm's pretty bad. It's already the evening before the solstice, but we didn't have much choice except to wait out the storm here. We had to give you some time to rest before we tried moving."

He didn't need to convince the Cherokee girl. The wind howling outside the cave scared her, and she couldn't stop shivering. "We have to get you warm." Jason moved closer to Piper and held out his unoccupied arm a little awkwardly. "Uh, you mind if I…"

"I suppose." She tried to sound nonchalant.

He tucked Piper into his side and scooted closer to the fire. Despite Riss in his lap, closer to him, Piper couldn't help but blush at her and Jason's proximity. The daughter of Aphrodite tried to hide the pang of pain she felt as Riss shifted and Jason immediately focused on her, biting his lip and making the little scar on his top lip more prominent. Coach Hedge chewed on his club and spat splinters into the fire.

Leo broke out some cooking supplies and started frying burger patties on an iron skillet. "So, guys, long as you're cuddled up for story time…something I've been meaning to tell you. On the way to Omaha, I had this dream. Kinda hard to understand with the static and the Wheel of Fortune breaking in—"

" _Wheel of Fortune_?" Piper assumed Leo was kidding, but when he looked up from his burgers, his expression was deadly serious.

"The thing is," he said, "my dad Hephaestus talked to me. Riss took a message."

"Like a voicemail machine," Piper remembered Riss calling herself the 'glorified voicemail machine' of the gods.

Leo told them about his dream. In the firelight, with the wind howling, the story was even creepier. Piper could imagine the static-filled voice of the god warning about giants who were the sons of Tartarus, and about Leo losing some friends along the way.

Piper tried to concentrate on something good: Jason's arm around her, the warmth slowly spreading into her body, but she was terrified. "I don't understand. If demigods and gods have to work together to kill the giants, why would the gods stay silent? If they need us—"

"Ha," said Coach Hedge. "The gods hate needing humans. They like to be needed by humans, but not the other way around. Things will have to get a whole lot worse before Zeus admits he made a mistake closing Olympus."

"Coach," Piper said, "that was almost an intelligent comment."

Hedge huffed. "What? I'm intelligent! I'm not surprised you cupcakes haven't heard of the Giant War. The gods don't like to talk about it. Bad PR to admit you needed mortals to help beat an enemy. That's just embarrassing."

"There's more, though," Jason said. "When I dreamed about Hera in her cage, she said Zeus was acting unusually paranoid. And Hera—she said she went to those ruins because a voice had been speaking in her head. What if someone's influencing the gods, like Medea influenced us?"

Piper shuddered. She'd had a similar thought—that some force they couldn't see was manipulating things behind the scenes, helping the giants. Maybe the same force was keeping Enceladus informed about their movements, and had even knocked their dragon out of the sky over Detroit.

Perhaps Leo's sleeping Dirt Woman, or another servant of hers…Riss whimpered in her sleep and Jason pulled the unconscious girl closer, muttering comforting words in her ear, his lips lightly brushing her forehead as he pulled back.

Leo set hamburger buns on the skillet to toast. "Yeah, Hephaestus said something similar, like Zeus was acting weirder than usual. But what bothered me was the stuff my dad didn't say. Like a couple of times he was talking about the demigods, and how he had so many kids and all. I don't know. He acted like getting the greatest demigods together was going to be almost impossible—like Hera was trying, but it was a really stupid thing to do, and there was some secret Hephaestus wasn't supposed to tell me."

Jason shifted. Piper could feel the tension in his arms.

"Chiron was the same way back at camp," he said. "He mentioned a sacred oath not to discuss—something. Coach, you know anything about that?"

"Nah. I'm just a satyr. They don't tell us the juicy stuff. Especially an old—" He stopped himself.

"An old guy like you?" Piper asked. "But you're not that old, are you?"

"Hundred and six," the coach muttered.

Leo coughed. "Say what?"

"Don't catch your panties on fire, Valdez. That's just fifty-three in human years. Still, yeah, I made some enemies on the Council of Cloven Elders. I've been a protector a longtime. But they started saying I was getting unpredictable. Too violent. Can you imagine?"

"Wow." Piper tried not to look at her friends. "That's hard to believe."

Coach scowled. "Yeah, then finally we get a good war going with the Titans, and do they put me on the front lines? No! They send me as far away as possible—the Canadian frontier, can you believe it? Then after the war, they put me out to pasture. The Wilderness School. Bah!" The satyr scoffed. "Like I'm too old to be helpful just because I like playing offense. Jackson over here _offered_ to go to the school, said she sensed someone really strong and thought it might be her brother – then she met _you_." Coach Hedge stared right at Jason when he said that, trying to convey the seriousness of Jason's apparent connection to Riss and continued grumbling, "All those flower-pickers on the Council—talking about nature…"

"I thought satyrs liked nature," Piper ventured.

"Shoot, I love nature," Hedge said. "Nature means big things killing and eating little things! And when you're a —you know— _vertically challenged_ satyr like me, you get in good shape, you carry a big stick, and you don't take nothing from no one! That's nature." Hedge snorted indignantly. "Flower-pickers. Anyway, I hope you got something vegetarian cooking, Valdez. I don't do flesh."

"Yeah, Coach. Don't eat your cudgel. I got some tofu patties here. Piper's a vegetarian too. I'll throw them on in a second."

The smell of frying burgers filled the air. Piper usually hated the smell of cooking meat, but her stomach rumbled like it wanted to mutiny. Her stomach wasn't the only thing rebelling. Lying by the fire, with Jason holding her, Piper's conscience felt like a hot bullet slowing working its way toward her heart. All the guilt she'd been holding in for the last week, since the giant Enceladus had first sent her a dream, was about to kill her.

Her friends wanted to help her. Jason even said he'd walk into a trap to save her dad. And Piper had shut them out. For all she knew, she'd already doomed her father when she attacked Medea. She choked back a sob. Maybe she'd done the right thing in Chicago by saving her friends, but she'd only delayed her problem. She could never betray her friends, but the tiniest part of her was desperate enough to think, _What if I did?_

Riss' eyes fluttered and Jason let go of Piper to check over Riss. "Nerissa, you okay?"

The sea-green-eyed girl groaned and nuzzled closer, desperately trying to keep warm and noticed the sling around her arm and the interior of what looked like a cave. She didn't question it. "I'm fine…just _cold_."

Jason nodded, pulling the Jackson girl closer. Leo handed out the food. Piper didn't want to move, talk, or do anything to disrupt the moment. But she had to.

"We need to talk." She sat up from where she had stretched out near the fire to face her friends. "I don't want to hide anything from you guys anymore." The boys looked at her with their mouths full of burger and Riss tilted her head awkwardly in the crook of Jason's neck. Too late to change her mind now. "Three nights before the Grand Canyon trip," she said, "I had a dream vision—a giant, telling me my father had been taken hostage. He told me I had to cooperate, or my dad would be killed."

The flames crackled, the only thing that broke the tense silence.

Finally Jason said, "Enceladus? You mentioned that name before."

Coach Hedge whistled. "Big giant. Breathes fire. Not somebody I'd want barbecuing my daddy goat."

"Evil, too," Riss muttered. "He's one of those 'doesn't stop till your dead' type of giants. Carefulness is key."

Jason gave Hedge a shut up look but nodded slightly at Riss' assessment. "Piper, go on. What happened next?"

"I—I tried to reach my dad, but all I got was his personal assistant, and she told me not to worry."

"Jane?" Leo remembered. "Didn't Medea say something about controlling her?"

Piper nodded. "To get my dad back, I had to sabotage this quest. I didn't realize it would be the four of us. Then after we started the quest, Enceladus sent me another warning: He told me he wanted you two dead but there were 'other plans' for Riss. He wants me to lead you to a mountain. I don't know exactly which one, but it's in the Bay Area—I could see the Golden Gate Bridge from the summit. I have to be there by noon on the solstice, tomorrow. An exchange." She couldn't meet her friends' eyes. She waited for them to yell at her, or turn their backs, or kick her out into the snowstorm.

Riss bit her lip, placing her hand on Piper's arm in comfort, "Gods, Piper. I'm so sorry."

Leo nodded. "No kidding. You've been carrying this around for a week? Piper, we could help you."

She glared at them. "Why don't you yell at me or something? I was ordered to kill you!"

"Aw, come on," Jason said. "You've saved us both on this quest. I'd put my life in your hands any day."

Riss pulled Piper into a hug, "We'll get your father back."

"Same," Leo said. "Can I have a hug too?"

"You don't get it!" Piper said, pulling back. "I've probably just killed my dad, telling you this."

Riss shook her head, "Your dad isn't going to be killed. Hades 'killed' my mother to get me to do something for him, I think it'll be the same with that giant loser."

"Jackson's right." Coach Hedge belched. He was eating his tofu burger folded inside the paper plate, chewing it all like a taco. Riss' lip turned up. "Giant hasn't gotten what he wants yet, so he still needs your dad for leverage. He'll wait until the deadline passes, see if you show up. He wants you to divert the quest to this mountain, right?"

Piper nodded uncertainly.

"So that means Hera is being kept somewhere else," Hedge reasoned. "And she has to be saved by the same day. So you have to choose—rescue your dad, or rescue Hera. If you go after Hera, then Enceladus takes care of your dad. Besides, Enceladus would never let you go even if you cooperated. You're obviously one of the seven in the Great Prophecy."

One of the seven. Riss had talked about this before with Jason, Leo and Piper, and she supposed it must be true, but she still had trouble believing it. Piper didn't feel that important. She was just a stupid child of Aphrodite. How could she be worth deceiving and killing?

"So we have no choice," the McLean girl said miserably. "We have to save Hera, or the giant king gets unleashed. That's our quest. The world depends on it. And Enceladus seems to have ways of watching me. He isn't stupid. He'll know if we change course and go the wrong way. He'll kill my dad."

"He's not going to kill your dad," Leo said.

"We'll save him," Riss promised. "We'll get there to save him and we'll free Hera all in time. Done and dusted."

"We don't have time!" Piper cried. "Besides, it's a trap."

"We're your friends, beauty queen," Leo said. "We're not going to let your dad die. We just gotta figure out a plan."

Coach Hedge grumbled. "Would help if we knew where this mountain was. Maybe Aeolus can tell you that. The Bay Area has a bad reputation for demigods. Old home of the Titans, Mount Othrys, sits over Mount Tam, where Atlas holds up the sky. I hope that's not the mountain you saw."

"Atlas is still there, which I'm grateful for," Riss mused. "That sky is bloody heavy, wouldn't want to hold that again."

The others all looked at Riss, wide-eyed, but she waved it away. She'd shared the weight of the sky with her twin and Artemis, which had been what had made the goddess of the hunt want Riss as a huntress.

Piper tried to remember the vista in her dreams. "I don't think so. This was inland."

Jason frowned at the fire, like he was trying to remember something. "Bad reputation…that doesn't seem right. The Bay Area…"

"You think you've been there?" Piper asked.

"I…" He looked like he was almost on the edge of a breakthrough. Then the anguish came back into his eyes. "I don't know. Hedge, what happened to Mount Othrys?"

Hedge took another bite of paper and burger. "Well, Kronos built a new palace there last summer. Big nasty place, was going to be the headquarters for his new kingdom and all. Weren't any battles there, though. Kronos marched on Manhattan, tried to take Olympus. If I remember right, he left some other Titans in charge of his palace, but after Kronos got defeated in Manhattan, the whole palace just crumbled on its own."

Riss bit her lip, "That doesn't sound right…"

"No," Jason agreed.

Everyone looked at him.

"What do you mean, 'No'?" Leo asked.

"That's not what happened. I—" He tensed, looking toward the cave entrance. "Did you hear that?"

For a second, nothing. Then they all heard it: howls piercing the night.

 **XXXXX**

"Wolves," Piper said. "They sound close."

Riss was on her feet in a second and her silver and Celestial Bronze tipped arrows were strung on her bow, despite that her arm was in a sling and she was in a great deal of pain. Jason rose and summoned his sword. Leo and Coach Hedge got to their feet too. Piper tried, but black spots danced before her eyes.

"Stay there," Jason told her. "We'll protect you."

Riss, although she had just woken up and had a broken elbow, only somewhat healed, was steadier on her feet and seemed to be recovering from the gold incident a lot better than Piper. "Just stay safe, Pipes."

Piper gritted her teeth. She hated feeling helpless. She didn't want anyone to protect her. First the stupid ankle. Now stupid hypothermia. She wanted to be on her feet, with her dagger in her hand.

Then, just outside the firelight at the entrance of the cave, the daughter of Aphrodite saw a pair of red eyes glowing in dark. Okay, she thought. Maybe a little protection is fine.

More wolves edged into the firelight—black beasts bigger than Great Danes, with ice and snow caked on their fur. Their fangs gleamed, and their glowing red eyes looked disturbingly intelligent. The wolf in front was almost as tall as a horse, his mouth stained as if he'd just made a fresh kill. Piper pulled her dagger out of its sheath.

Riss pulled the bow string taut and glared, sea-green eyes alight, ready for battle. Then Jason stepped forward and said something in Latin.

Piper didn't think a dead language would have much effect on wild animals, but the alpha wolf curled his lip. The fur stood up along his spine. One of his lieutenants tried to advance, but the alpha wolf snapped at his ear. Then all of the wolves backed into the dark.

"Dude, I gotta study Latin." Leo's hammer shook in his hand. "What'd you say, Jason?"

Hedge cursed. "Whatever it was, it wasn't enough. Look."

The wolves were coming back, but the alpha wolf wasn't with them. They didn't attack. They waited—at least a dozen now, in a rough semicircle just outside the firelight, blocking the cave exit. The five all remained strong, weapons still raised.

The coach hefted his club. "Here's the plan. I'll kill them all, and you guys escape."

"Coach, they'll rip you apart," Piper said.

"Nah, I'm good."

Riss pointed with the tip of her arrow, "Look." The demigods and satyr watched as the silhouette of a man coming through the storm, wading through the wolf pack.

"Stick together," Jason said. "They respect a pack. And Hedge, no crazy stuff. We're not leaving you or anyone else behind."

Piper got a lump in her throat. She was the weak link in their 'pack' right now. No doubt the wolves could smell her fear. She might as well be wearing a sign that said free lunch. Riss seemed to be thinking the same thing and angled her body in front of Piper's, the McLean girl would never admit that she was grateful for Riss' protective nature.

The wolves parted, and the man stepped into the firelight. His hair was greasy and ragged, the color of fireplace soot, topped with a crown of what looked like finger bones. His robes were tattered fur—wolf, rabbit, raccoon, deer, and several others Piper couldn't identify. The furs didn't look cured, and from the smell, they weren't very fresh. His frame was lithe and muscular, like a distance runner's. But the most horrible thing was his face. His thin pale skin was pulled tight over his skull. His teeth were sharpened like fangs. His eyes glowed bright red like his wolves'—and they fixed on Jason with absolute hatred.

" _Ecce_ ," he said, " _filli Romani_."

"Speak English, wolf man!" Hedge bellowed.

"Shut up, Hedge!"

The wolf man snarled, agreeing with Riss silently. "Tell your faun to mind his tongue, son of Rome. Or he'll be my first snack."

Piper remembered that faun was the Roman name for satyr. Not exactly helpful information. Now, if she could remember who this wolf guy was in Greek mythology, and how to defeat him, that she could use.

The wolf man studied their little group. His nostrils twitched. "So it's true," he mused. "A child of Aphrodite. A son of Hephaestus. A faun. And a child of Rome, of Lord Jupiter, no less. Altogether, without killing each other. How interesting."

Riss glanced down at the Mist-manipulating ring on her finger and frowned, slightly annoyed by the fact that the wolf man seemed to act as though she wasn't even there.

"You were told about us?" Jason asked. "By whom?"

The man snarled—perhaps a laugh, perhaps a challenge. "Oh, we've been patrolling for you all across the west, demigod, hoping we'd be the first to find you. The giant king will reward me well when he rises. I am Lycaon, king of the wolves. And my pack is hungry." The wolves snarled in the darkness.

"Oh, my Hades," Riss snarled. "Not _you_."

Leo put up his hammer and slip something else from his tool belt—a glass bottle full of clear liquid. Piper racked her brain trying to place the wolf guy's name. She knew she'd heard it before, but she couldn't remember details. Nerissa clearly knew who this 'Lycaon' was and was not happy about it. Lycaon glared at Jason's sword. He moved to each side as if looking for an opening, but Jason's blade moved with him.

"Leave," Jason ordered. "There's no food for you here."

"Unless you want tofu burgers," Leo offered.

Lycaon bared his fangs. Apparently he wasn't a tofu fan.

"If I had my way," Lycaon said with regret, "I'd kill you first, son of Jupiter. Your father made me what I am. I was the powerful mortal king of Arcadia, with fifty fine sons, and Zeus slew them all with his lightning bolts."

"Ha," Coach Hedge said. "For good reason!"

Riss narrowed her eyes, "The wolf form you have is really appropriate."

Jason glanced over his shoulder. "Coach, Riss, you know this clown?"

" _Unfortunately_."

"I do," Piper added. The details of the myth came back to her—a short, horrible story she and her father had laughed at over breakfast. She wasn't laughing now. "Lycaon invited Zeus to dinner," she said. "But the king wasn't sure it was really Zeus. So to test his powers, Lycaon tried to feed him human flesh. Zeus got outraged—"

"And killed my sons!" Lycaon howled. The wolves behind him howled too.

"So Zeus turned him into a wolf," Piper said. "They call…they call werewolves 'lycanthropes,' named after him, the first werewolf."

"The king of wolves," Coach Hedge finished. "An immortal, smelly, vicious mutt."

Lycaon growled. "I will tear you apart, faun!"

"Oh, you want some goat, buddy? 'Cause I'll give you goat."

Riss raised her brows, " _Down_ , boys. _No one_ is tearing each other apart if I can help it."

"Lycaon, you said you wanted to kill me first, but...?"

"Sadly, Child of Rome, you are spoken for. Since this one—" he waggled his claws at Piper "—has failed to kill you, you are to be delivered alive to the Wolf House. One of my compatriots has asked for the honor of killing you herself."

"Who?" Jason said.

The wolf king snickered. "Oh, a great admirer of yours. Apparently, you made quite an impression on her. She will take care of you soon enough, and really I cannot complain. Spilling your blood at the Wolf House should mark my new territory quite well. Lupa will think twice about challenging my pack."

Riss stiffened, bow string tighter now. She knew the name Lupa, she knew what the wolf was capable of and she knew that as a 'Child of Rome,' Jason was in a great deal of danger.

Piper's heart tried to jump out of her chest. She didn't understand everything Lycaon had said, but a woman who wanted to kill Jason? Medea, she thought. Somehow, she must've survived the explosion. Piper struggled to her feet. Spots danced before her eyes again. The cave seemed to spin.

"You're going to leave now," Piper said, "before we destroy you."

She tried to put power into the words, but she was too weak. Shivering in her blankets, pale and sweaty and barely able to hold a knife, she couldn't have looked very threatening.

Lycaon's red eyes crinkled with humor. "A brave try, girl. I admire that. Perhaps I'll make your end quick. Only the son of Jupiter is needed alive. The rest of you, I'm afraid, are dinner."

At that moment, Piper knew she was going to die. But at least she'd die on her feet, fighting next to Jason.

"Try it, flea-bag," Riss taunted and Lycaon growled again, moving threateningly closer to the daughter of Poseidon.

Jason took a step forward, in front of Riss. "You're not killing anyone, wolf man. Not without going through me."

Lycaon howled and extended his claws. Jason slashed at him, but his golden sword passed straight through as if the wolf king wasn't there.

Lycaon laughed. "Gold, bronze, steel—none of these are any good against my wolves, son of Jupiter."

"Silver!" Piper cried. "Aren't werewolves hurt by silver?"

"We don't have any silver!" Jason said.

"I do, so get behind me!" Riss yelled and shot her arrow, the silver and Celestial tip burying itself into the neck of one of the wolves. It fell to the ground, still and the single arrow sparked the fight. Wolves leapt into the firelight. Hedge charged forward with an elated 'Woot!'

Leo struck quickly. He threw his glass bottle and it shattered on the ground, splattering liquid all over the wolves—the unmistakable smell of gasoline. He shot a burst of fire at the puddle, and a wall of flames erupted.

Wolves yelped and retreated. Several caught fire and had to run back into the snow. Even Lycaon looked uneasily at the barrier of flames now separating his wolves from the demigods. Riss moved closer, bow raised.

"Aw, c'mon," Coach Hedge complained. "I can't hit them if they're way over there."

Every time a wolf came closer, Leo shot a new wave of fire from his hands, but each effort seemed to make him a little more tired, and the gasoline was already dying down. "I can't summon any more gas!" Leo warned. Then his face turned red. "Wow, that came out wrong. I mean the _burning_ kind. Gonna take the tool belt a while to recharge. What you got, man?"

"Nothing," Jason said. "Not even a weapon that works."

"Lightning?" Piper asked.

Jason concentrated, but nothing happened. "I think the snowstorm is interfering, or something."

"Unleash the venti!" Piper said.

"Then we'll have nothing to give Aeolus," Jason said. "We'll have come all this way for nothing."

Lycaon laughed. "I can smell your fear. A few more minutes of life, heroes. Pray to whatever gods you wish. Zeus did not grant me mercy, and you will have none from me."

The flames began to sputter out. Jason cursed and dropped his sword. He crouched like he was ready to go hand-to-hand. Leo pulled his hammer out of his pack. Piper raised her dagger—not much, but it was all she had. Coach Hedge hefted his club, and he was the only one who looked excited about dying.

Throughout the small argument the demigods had had, Riss was still injuring the wolves at the back of the pack, the lower ranking ones but Lycaon didn't seem fazed. The arrows were only half silver and although they were dangerous, they could only do so much if they weren't lethal hits.

" _Nauticus_." Riss' sword appeared in her hand as the bow and arrow disappeared and she leveled it at the wolves. They didn't advance but they recognised that she was only one girl. Then a ripping sound cut through the wind — like a piece of tearing cardboard. A long stick sprouted from the neck of the nearest wolf — the shaft of a silver arrow. The wolf writhed and fell, melting into a puddle of shadow.

More arrows. More wolves fell. Riss joined the fray, her blade flashing through the wolves. The pack broke in confusion. An arrow flashed toward Lycaon, but the wolf king caught it in midair. Then he yelled in pain. When he dropped the arrow, it left a charred, smoking gash across his palm. Another arrow caught him in the shoulder, and the wolf king staggered.

"Curse them!" Lycaon yelled. He growled at his pack, and the wolves turned and ran. Lycaon fixed Jason with those glowing red eyes. "This isn't over, boy."

The wolf king disappeared into the night.

Riss blew out a breath, huffing lightly. Her sword disappeared and she put her hands on her knees, struggling to breathe. Okay, so maybe she really _wasn't_ doing too well with being turned to gold. The daughter of Poseidon blinked quickly, black spots clouding her vision and her ears buzzing. Jason hurried over to her, pulling the dark-haired girl into his arms protectively. The Jackson girl whimpered as Jason brushed her arm and he apologized profusely, tucking the girl beneath his arm and pressed his lips to her hairline, rocking her.

Seconds later, more wolves baying entered the air, but the sound was different—less threatening, more like hunting dogs on the scent. A smaller white wolf burst into the cave, followed by two more.

Hedge said, "Kill it?"

"No!" Piper said. "Wait."

"Don't!" Riss agreed. "They're the wolves of the Hunters of Artemis." She opened her mouth, raising her voice, " _Thalia!_ "

The wolves tilted their heads and studied the campers with huge golden eyes.

A heartbeat later, their masters appeared: a troop of hunters in white-and-gray winter camouflage, at least half a dozen. All of them carried bows, with quivers of glowing silver arrows on their backs.

Their faces were covered with parka hoods, but clearly they were all girls. One, a little taller than the rest, crouched in the firelight and snatched up the arrow that had wounded Lycaon's hand.

"So close." She turned to her companions. "Phoebe, stay with me. Watch the entrance. The rest of you, follow Lycaon. We can't lose him now. I'll catch up with you."

The other hunters mumbled agreement and disappeared, heading after Lycaon's pack.

The girl in white turned toward them, her face still hidden in her parka hood. "We've been following that demon's trail for over a week. Is everyone all right? No one got bit?"

Jason glanced up from his place beside Riss and froze, eyes wide and staring at the girl who had spoke. Piper realized something about her voice sounded familiar. It was hard to pin down, but the way she spoke, the way she formed her words, reminded her of Jason.

"You're her," Piper guessed. "You're Thalia."

The girl tensed. Piper was afraid she might draw her bow, but instead she pulled down her parka hood. Her hair was spiky black, with a silver tiara across her brow. Her face had a super-healthy glow to it, as if she were a little more than human, and her eyes were brilliant blue. She was the girl from Jason's photograph.

"Do I know you?" Thalia asked.

Piper took a breath. "This might be a shock, but—"

"Thalia." Jason stepped forward, Riss in his arms, his voice trembling. "I'm Jason, your brother."

"I just _love_ family reunions."

 **XXXXX**

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 **More Jerissa moments! Ah! They're so cute and I live through their love life because I don't have one of my own! Cool.**

 **Riss proved how much of a badass she actually is as well. She fought wolves with an injured arm and also, multiple times, was offered a place with Artemis (more of that in the next chapter). Thalia and Riss also have a dynamic similar to Thalia and Percy's, where they sass the crap out of each other but secretly love each other and call the other one of their closest friends.**

 **Anyone, next chapter has a Jerissa kiss but I warn you, it's probably not what you all expect. I can say this: the kiss is an ACCIDENT but a really go one, if you ask me.**

 **FIVE REVIEWS FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

 **And, self-promo, check out my Hunger Games fics:** ** _Retribution_** **and** ** _Epigraph_** **!**

 **~ Raven**


	16. PI

_**PI | PINECONE FACE GRACE AND NYMPH GIRL JACKSON**_

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Heroes of Olympus series or any of the characters. I only own the character Nerissa Jackson and her original plot lines and dialogue.**

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 **THE CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO** ** _Esther77_ , ****_yasminasfeir1_** **,** ** _Spunky89_** **,** ** _Guest_** **AND** ** _someone_** **FOR YOUR AMAZING REVIEWS! THIS CHAPTER IS SO MUCH SHORTER THAN THE OTHERS!**

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 **I WAS WRONG! I'M SO SORRY! THE KISS IS IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

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Leo figured he had the worst luck in the group, and that was saying a lot. Why didn't he get to have the long-lost sister or the movie star dad who needed rescuing or the missing twin brother? All he got was a tool belt and a dragon that broke down halfway through the quest. Maybe it was the stupid curse of the Hephaestus cabin, but Leo didn't think so. His life had been unlucky way before he got to camp.

A thousand years from now, when this quest was being told around a campfire, he figured people would talk about brave Jason, powerful Nerissa, beautiful Piper, and their sidekick Flaming Valdez, who accompanied them with a bag of magic screwdrivers and occasionally fixed tofu burgers.

If that wasn't bad enough, Leo fell in love with every girl he saw—as long as she was totally out of his league. Riss knew that better than anyone, she'd seen Leo repeatedly do it, so she was a _smidge_ worried about her friend.

When he first saw Thalia, Leo immediately thought she was way too pretty to be Jason's sister. Then he thought he'd better not say that or he'd get in trouble. He liked her dark hair, her blue eyes, and her confident attitude. She looked like the kind of girl who could stomp anybody on the ball court or the battlefield, and wouldn't give Leo the time of day—just Leo's type!

For a minute, Jason and Thalia faced each other, stunned. Riss, without Jason really noticing it, slid out of his grip and landed on the ground with a grunt. Then Thalia rushed forward and hugged her brother.

"My gods! She told me you were dead!" She gripped Jason's face and seemed to be examining everything about it. "Thank Artemis, it is you. That little scar on your lip—you tried to eat a stapler when you were two!"

Leo laughed. "Seriously?"

Hedge nodded like he approved of Jason's taste. "Staplers —excellent source of iron."

"W-wait," Jason stammered. "Who told you I was dead? What happened?"

At the cave entrance, one of the white wolves barked. Thalia looked back at the wolf and nodded, but she kept her hands on Jason's face, like she was afraid he might vanish. "My wolf is telling me I don't have much time, and she's right. But we have to talk. Let's sit."

Piper did better than that. She collapsed beside Riss, who was breathing heavily, and Thalia seemed to just notice that Riss was, in fact, there. She would've cracked her head on the cave floor if Hedge hadn't caught her.

"Riss!" Thalia rushed over. "Oh, my gods! Nerissa!"

Riss cracked open her eyes and she smirked, "Hey, Pinecone Face, nice to see you. Also nice to know that it takes you _way_ too long to notice I'm slowly dying here."

Thalia let out a sigh and hugged the girl gently, "Hi, Nymph Girl."

"Check…" Riss coughed, groaning and holding her arm. "…check on Piper."

The Hunter of Artemis nodded, knowing better than to argue with the stubborn daughter of Poseidon, and looked over to Piper. "What's wrong with her? Ah—never mind. I see. Hypothermia. Ankle." She frowned at the satyr. "Don't you know nature healing?"

Hedge scoffed. "Why do you think she looks this good? Can't you smell the Gatorade?"

Thalia looked at Leo for the first time, and of course it was an accusatory glare, like 'Why did you let the goat be a doctor?' As if that was Leo's fault.

"You and the satyr," Thalia ordered, "take this girl to my friend at the entrance. Riss will stay here with me. Phoebe's an excellent healer."

"It's cold out there!" Hedge said. "I'll freeze my horns off."

But Leo knew when they weren't wanted. "Come on, Hedge. These two need time to talk."

"Humph. Fine," the satyr muttered. "Didn't even get to brain anybody."

Hedge carried Piper toward the entrance. Leo was about to follow when Jason called, "Actually, man, could you, um, stick around?" Leo saw something in Jason's eyes he didn't expect: Jason was asking for support. He wanted somebody else there. He was scared.

Leo grinned. "Sticking around is my specialty."

"She's also sworn off _all_ men," Riss whispered to Leo, the boy's face fell but he nodded, thankful that the Jackson girl had told him.

Thalia didn't look too happy about it, but the four of them sat at the fire. For a few minutes, nobody spoke. Jason studied his sister like she was a scary device—one that might explode if handled incorrectly. The Jackson girl was in his lap, arms tight around her waist and she was drinking a bit of ambrosia Thalia had passed to her.

Thalia seemed more at ease, as if she was used to stumbling across stranger things than long-lost relatives and best friends who were severely injured. But still she regarded Jason in a kind of amazed trance, maybe remembering a little two-year-old who tried to eat a stapler. Leo took a few pieces of copper wire out of his pockets and twisted them together.

Finally, Leo couldn't stand the silence. "So…the Hunters of Artemis. This whole 'not dating' thing—is that like always, or more of a seasonal thing, or what?"

Thalia stared at him as if he'd just evolved from pond scum. Yeah, he was definitely liking this girl.

Jason kicked him in the shin. "Don't mind Leo. He's just trying to break the ice. But, Thalia…what happened to our family? Who told you I was dead?"

Thalia tugged at a silver bracelet on her wrist. In the firelight, in her winter camouflage, she almost looked like Khione the snow princess—just as cold and beautiful. Riss pulled a little bit of water from the snow and properly healed her elbow, finally being able to because of the extra time and ambrosia she had. Jason helped the Jackson girl take her sling off and he gently ran his hand down her healed arm.

"Do you remember anything?" Thalia asked, staring at the interaction between her brother and one of her best friends.

Jason shook his head. "I woke up three days ago on a bus with Leo, Piper and Riss. Riss didn't know me, she was the only one."

"Which wasn't our fault," Leo added hastily. "Hera stole his memories."

Thalia tensed. "Hera? How do you know that?"

"Oh," Riss scoffed. "We _know_ it was Hera. She possessed Rachel, almost killed me and spoke to Jason through _Seymour_."

Thalia cringed at that and Riss nodded with an exasperated look on her face.

Jason explained about their quest after he smiled fondly at Riss — the prophecy at camp, Hera getting imprisoned, the giant taking Piper's dad, and the winter solstice deadline. Leo chimed in to add the important stuff: how he'd fixed the bronze dragon, could throw fireballs, and made excellent tacos. The Jackson girl stayed silent and absentmindedly ran her fingers over Jason's shirt.

Thalia was a good listener…and noticed quite a bit too. Nothing seemed to surprise her—the monsters, the prophecies, the dead rising. But when Jason mentioned King Midas, she cursed in Ancient Greek.

"I knew we should've burned down his mansion," she said. "That man's a menace. But we were so intent on following Lycaon—Well, I'm glad you got away. So Hera's been…what, hiding you all these years?"

" _Cow_." Thalia didn't argue and high-fived Riss.

"I don't know." Jason brought out the photo from his pocket. "She left me just enough memory to recognize your face."

Thalia looked at the picture, and her expression softened. "I'd forgotten about that. I left it in Cabin One, didn't I?"

Jason nodded. "I think Hera wanted for us to meet. When we landed here, at this cave…I had a feeling it was important. Like I knew you were close by. Is that crazy?"

"Nah," Leo assured him. "We were absolutely destined to meet your hot sister."

Thalia ignored him. Riss didn't; she slapped Leo over the head and promptly told him to shut up.

"Jason," she said, "when you're dealing with the gods, nothing is too crazy. But you can't trust Hera, especially since we're children of Zeus. She hates all children of Zeus."

"And Poseidon apparently."

Thalia tilted her head, "Cow dung?"

"Shit yeah. My cabin smelt for a week, the _bit—_ "

Jason clapped a hand over Riss' mouth, trying to keep her from saying something that she would be incinerated for. "But she said something about Zeus giving her my life as a peace offering. Does that make any sense?"

The color drained from Thalia's face. "Oh, gods. Mother wouldn't have…You don't remember—No, of course you don't."

"What?" Jason asked.

Thalia's features seemed to grow older in the firelight, like her immortality wasn't working so well. "Jason…I'm not sure how to say this. Our mom wasn't exactly stable. She caught Zeus's eye because she was a television actress, and she was beautiful, but she didn't handle the fame well. She drank, pulled stupid stunts. She was always in the tabloids. She could never get enough attention. Even before you were born, she and I argued all the time. She…" The daughter of Zeus paused. "…she knew Dad was Zeus, and I think that was too much for her to take. It was like the ultimate achievement for her to attract the lord of the sky, and she couldn't accept it when he left. The thing about the gods…well, they don't hang around."

Riss smiled sadly. Poseidon had called Sally Jackson a 'queen' once and she knew he still though so. Riss also knew that without Amphitrite and Zeus' constant interference, Sally Jackson could've been the queen of the sea.

Leo remembered his own mom, the way she'd assured him over and over that his dad would be back someday. But she'd never acted mad about it. She didn't seem to want Hephaestus for herself—only so Leo could know his father. She'd dealt with working a dead-end job, living in a tiny apartment, never having enough money—and she'd seemed fine with it. As long as she had Leo, she always said, life would be okay.

He watched Jason's face—looking more and more devastated as Thalia described their mom—and for once, Leo didn't feel jealous of his friend. Leo might have lost his mom. He might have had some hard times. But at least he remembered her. He found himself tapping out a Morse code message on his knee: _love you_. He felt bad for Jason, not having memories like that—not having anything to fall back on.

Nerissa ran her fingers over Jason's tattoo and he stopped her movements, instead lacing his fingers with Riss' for comfort.

"So…" Jason didn't seem able to finish the question.

"Jason, you got friends," Leo told him. "Now you got a sister. You're not alone." Thalia offered her hand, and Jason took it.

"When I was about seven," she said, "Zeus started visiting Mom again. I think he felt bad about wrecking her life, and he seemed—different somehow. A little older and sterner, more fatherly toward me. For a while, Mom improved. She loved having Zeus around, bringing her presents, causing the sky to rumble. She always wanted more attention. That's the year you were born. Mom … well, I never got along with her, but you gave me a reason to hang around. You were so cute.

And I didn't trust Mom to look after you. Of course, Zeus eventually stopped coming by again. He probably couldn't stand Mom's demands anymore, always pestering him to let her visit Olympus, or to make her immortal or eternally beautiful. When he left for good, Mom got more and more unstable. That was about the time the monsters started attacking me. Mom blamed Hera. She claimed the goddess was coming after you too—that Hera had barely tolerated my birth, but two demigod children from the same family was too big an insult. Mom even said she hadn't wanted to name you Jason, but Zeus insisted, as a way to appease Hera because the goddess liked that name. I didn't know what to believe."

Leo fiddled with his copper wires. He felt like an intruder. He shouldn't be listening to this, but it also made him feel like he was getting to know Jason for the first time—like maybe being here now made up for those four months at Wilderness School, when Leo had just imagined they'd had a friendship. Riss felt like she was intruding too, knowing that she didn't like it when _Percy_ butted into her personal problems. She could relate to the Grace siblings – not about the psycho step-mom, even though Amphitrite hated her – but because two children of Poseidon increased the amount of monsters and they were definite threats.

"How did you guys get separated?" Leo asked.

Thalia squeezed her brother's hand. "If I'd known you were alive … gods, things would've been so different. But when you were two, Mom packed us in the car for a family vacation. We drove up north, toward the wine country, to this park she wanted to show us. I remember thinking it was strange because Mom never took us anywhere, and she was acting super nervous. I was holding your hand, walking you toward this big building in the middle of the park, and…"

She took a shaky breath and Riss smiled sadly, "It's okay, Thalia. Take your time."

The daughter of Zeus smiled thankfully at the Jackson girl. "Mom told me to go back to the car and get the picnic basket. I didn't want to leave you alone with her, but it was only for a few minutes. When I came back…Mom was kneeling on the stone steps, hugging herself and crying. She said—she said you were gone. She said Hera claimed you and you were as good as dead. I didn't know what she'd done. I was afraid she'd completely lost her mind. I ran all over the place looking for you, but you'd just vanished. She had to drag me away, kicking and screaming. For the next few days I was hysterical. I don't remember everything, but I called the police on Mom and they questioned her for a long time. Afterward, we fought. She told me I'd betrayed her, that I should support her, like she was the only one who mattered. Finally I couldn't stand it. Your disappearance was the last straw. I ran away from home, and I never went back, not even when Mom died a few years ago. I thought you were gone forever. I never told anyone about you—not even Annabeth or Luke, my two best friends. It was just too painful."

"Chiron knew." Jason's voice sounded far away. "When I got to camp, he took one look at me and said, 'You should be dead.'"

"That doesn't make sense," Thalia insisted. "I never told him."

"Hey," Leo said. "Important thing is you've got each other now, right? You two are lucky."

Thalia nodded. "Leo's right. Look at you. You're my age. You've grown up…" She shot Riss a look. " _A lot_."

"But where have I been?" Jason said. "How could I be missing all that time? And the Roman stuff…"

Thalia frowned. "The Roman stuff?"

"Jase speaks Latin and knows the gods by their Roman forms," Riss explained. "He's also got tattoos."

Leo gave Thalia the rundown about the other weird stuff that had happened: Boreas turning into Aquilon, Lycaon calling Jason a 'child of Rome,' and the wolves backing off when Jason spoke Latin to them.

Thalia plucked her bowstring. "Latin. Zeus sometimes spoke Latin, the second time he stayed with Mom. Like I said, he seemed different, more formal."

"You think he was in his Roman aspect?" Jason asked. "And that's why I think of myself as a child of Jupiter?" Jason turned to Riss, "When we fell into the canyon, your eyes glowed and you called me 'child of Jupiter.'"

Thalia looked alarmed at 'fell into the canyon' but Riss waved it off, "If I said that, 'Jupiter' was probably speaking through me, leaving you a hint."

Thalia said, "I've never heard of something like that happening, but it might explain why you think in Roman terms, why you can speak Latin rather than Ancient Greek. That would make you unique. Still, it doesn't explain how you've survived without Camp Half-Blood. A child of Zeus, or Jupiter, or whatever you want to call him—you would've been hounded by monsters. If you were on your own, you should've died years ago. I know I wouldn't have been able to survive without friends. You would've needed training, a safe haven—"

"He wasn't alone," Leo blurted out. "We've heard about others like him."

Thalia looked at him strangely. "What do you mean?"

Leo told her about the slashed-up purple shirt in Medea's department store, and the story the Cyclopes told about the child of Mercury who spoke Latin.

"Isn't there anywhere else for demigods?" Leo asked. "I mean besides Camp Half-Blood? Maybe some crazy Latin teacher has been abducting children of the gods or something, making them think like Romans."

As soon as he said it, Leo realized how stupid the idea sounded. Thalia's dazzling blue eyes studied him intently, making him feel like a suspect in a lineup. Riss, however, nodded.

"It's possible."

"I've been all over the country," Thalia mused. "I've never seen evidence of a crazy Latin teacher, or demigods in purple shirts. Still…" Her voice trailed off, like she'd just had a troubling thought.

"What?" Jason asked.

"Thalia," Riss raised her brows. "It could be hidden like Camp Half-Blood. _You_ were the one that protected us, remember?"

Thalia shook her head. "I'll have to talk to the goddess. Maybe Artemis will guide us."

"She's still talking to you?" Jason asked. "Most of the gods have gone silent."

"Artemis follows her own rules," Thalia said. "She has to be careful not to let Zeus know, but she thinks Zeus is being ridiculous closing Olympus. She's the one who set us on the trail of Lycaon. She said we'd find a lead to a missing friend of ours."

"Percy Jackson," Leo guessed. "The guy Annabeth is looking for…and Riss."

"My idiot twin," Riss rolled her eyes and Thalia nodded, her face full of concern. "Percy's an idiot," the Jackson girl admitted. "He's probably messing with the Roman's right now. We'll find him and I flipping swear, if he's leading them, I'm gonna kick his ass."

Thalia let out a short laugh, "Gods, I missed you, Nymph."

"Missed you too, Pinecone," Nerissa winked. "Haven't really seen you since you gave up trying to recruit me."

Thalia smirked, "I didn't give up…but I think I should now…" The girl's smirk widened as she gestured casually to Riss in Jason's arms and the water-manipulating girl blushed lightly.

"Recruit?" Jason whispered and Riss promised that she would explain later, when they could actually sit down to talk.

"So what would Lycaon have to do with it?" Leo asked awkwardly, feeling like he was interrupting an inside joke. "And how does it connect to us?"

"We need to find out soon," Thalia admitted. "If your deadline is tomorrow, we're wasting time. Aeolus could tell you—" The white wolf appeared again at the doorway and yipped insistently.

"I have to get moving." Thalia stood. "Otherwise I'll lose the other Hunters' trail. First, though, I'll take you to Aeolus' palace."

"If you can't, it's okay," Jason said, though he sounded kind of distressed.

"Oh, please." Thalia smiled and helped him up. "I haven't had a brother in years. I think I can stand a few minutes with you before you get annoying. Now, let's go!"

Riss got up and helped Jason up. "Hey, Thalia," the girl called as she massaged her shoulder. "You know, Aeolus' palace is in the… _sky_ , right?"

Thalia gulped and shot the green-eyed girl a not-so-nice hand gesture over her shoulder.

 **XXXXX**

Zeus paced Olympus, stormy eyes trained on his two children. And his wife's so-called _connection_. Why Nerissa Jackson was so important, the sky god had no idea but apparently there had been a prophecy made at the moment of her _conception_ that quite a few Olympians had been privy to.

But they had never once told Zeus.

For good reason too, for the man would certainly lose his temper and try to smite Nerissa where she stood but he had no idea how important Nerissa was to Jason Grace and why he looked at her like she was the center of his world.

Zeus would surely find out soon, however, when Gaea began to tighten her earthy grip on the entire world.

Because Nerissa Jackson would either be their savior or their doom and the gods were still unclear as to where her loyalties lay.

 **XXXXX**

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 **If I can get FIVE REVIEWS, I'll upload the next chapter as soon as possible.**

 **The kiss is DEFINITELY in the next chapter!**

 **~ Raven**


	17. RO

**_RO | THALIA'S GOT HER HEAD IN THE CLOUDS...AND IS SCARED SHITLESS_**

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Heroes of Olympus series or any of the characters. I only own the character Nerissa Jackson and her original plot lines and dialogue.**

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 **THE CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO** ** _NicoleR85_** **,** ** _Phoenixfire Produtions_** **,** ** _Spunky89_** **,** ** _Nuincalion_** **Griffondor,** ** _Guest_** **AND** ** _someone_** **FOR YOUR REVIEWS! I LOVE TO SEE NEW READERS REVIEWING AND I THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR NOT GETTING MAD ABOUT MY FALSE INFO. THIS KISS IS THIS CHAPTER!**

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Nerissa was extremely grateful for the full use of her arm again. One of the Hunter's, Phoebe, had helped the daughter of Poseidon by popping her shoulder back into place and making sure that her elbow was properly set before giving Riss a sip of nectar.

Riss was quite easily accepted by the Hunters, the girls quite admiring the green-eyed girl who they saw as strong and brave and had been offered, multiple times, a place by Artemis' side. But Artemis understood why Riss had declined, knowing more than the girl did, actually.

"Oh, no way," Leo exclaimed, seeing Hedge and Piper in a warm tent, looking comfortable with hot chocolate. "We've been sitting in a cave and you get the luxury tent? Somebody give me hypothermia. I want hot chocolate and a parka!"

Phoebe sniffed. " _Boys_ ," she said, like it was the worst insult she could think of.

"It's all right, Phoebe," Thalia said. "They'll need extra coats. And I think we can spare some chocolate."

Phoebe grumbled but soon Leo and Jason were also dressed in silvery winter clothes that were incredibly lightweight and warm. Clothes were also offered to Riss and she thankfully took them, smiling at Phoebe. Phoebe smiled back widely, the smile lighting up her pretty face. The hot chocolate was terrific and Riss reclined against Jason, who silently wrapped his arm around her shoulders as they drank the beverage.

"Cheers!" said Coach Hedge. He crunched down his plastic thermos cup.

"That cannot be good for your intestines," Leo said.

Thalia patted Piper on the back. "You up for moving?"

Piper nodded. "Thanks to Phoebe, yeah. You guys are really good at this wilderness survival thing. I feel like I could run ten miles."

Thalia grinned. "She's tough for a child of Aphrodite."

"She is, isn't she?" Riss mused, smiling gently at Piper. The McLean girl smiled back, eyes wide with delight from the compliment. Before Thalia could even ask, Riss rolled her eyes, "I'm fine, Grace. Let's go."

"Fine, Jackson. I won't argue with you," Thalia nodded. "We'll break camp now."

"Hey, I could run ten miles too," Leo volunteered. "Tough Hephaestus kid here. Let's hit it." Naturally, Thalia ignored him.

It took Phoebe exactly six seconds to break camp, the tent self-collapsing into a square the size of a pack of chewing gum. Leo wanted to ask her for the blueprints, but they didn't have time.

Thalia ran uphill through the snow, hugging a tiny little path on the side of the mountain, and soon Leo was regretting trying to look macho, because the Hunters left him in the dust. Riss stayed by the Valdez boy's side, which he was grateful for, despite Riss being easily capable of keeping up with the Hunters of Artemis.

Coach Hedge leaped around like a happy mountain goat, coaxing them on like he used to do on track days at school. "Come on, Valdez! Pick up the pace! Let's chant. _I've got a girl in Kalamazoo_ —"

"Let's not," Thalia snapped.

So they ran in silence. The silence gave Riss a time to think; she knew that Thalia and the Hunters hadn't found Percy, she knew that there was possibly a Roman camp and she knew that there was more – _way_ more – to Jason than what was on the surface.

Leo and Riss fell in next to Jason at the back of the group. "How you doing, man?" Jason's expression was enough of an answer: _Not good_.

"Thalia takes it so calmly," Jason said. "Like it's no big deal that I appeared. I didn't know what I was expecting, but…she's not like me. She seems so much more together."

"Hey, she's not fighting amnesia," Leo said. "Plus, she's had more time to get used to this whole demigod thing. You fight monsters and talk to gods for a while, you probably get used to surprises."

"Leo's right. You do get used to it," Riss assured Jason. "Thalia was also a _tree_ for years, so…"

"Maybe," Jason said after sending Riss a really confused look. _A tree_? "I just wish I understood what happened when I was two, why my mom got rid of me. Thalia ran away because of me."

"Hey, whatever's happened, it wasn't your fault. And your sister is pretty cool. She's a lot like you."

Jason took that in silence. Leo wondered if he'd said the right things. He wanted to make Jason feel better, but this was way outside his comfort zone. Riss hadn't said much but Leo knew she wasn't terrific at comfort either, neither of the Jackson twins were, their mother was though.

Leo wished he could reach inside his tool belt and pick just the right wrench to fix Jason's memory—maybe a little hammer—bonk the sticking spot and make everything run right. That would be a lot easier than trying to talk it through. He was so lost in thought, he didn't realize the Hunters had stopped. He slammed into Thalia and nearly sent them both down the side of the mountain the hard way. Fortunately, the Hunter was light on her feet. She steadied them both, then pointed up.

"That," Leo choked, "is a really large rock."

"Oh my gods, Leo," Riss groaned at the boy's stupid comment.

They stood near the summit of Pikes Peak. Below them the world was blanketed in clouds. The air was so thin, Leo could hardly breathe. Night had set in, but a full moon shone and the stars were incredible. Stretching out to the north and south, peaks of other mountains rose from the clouds like islands—or teeth.

But the real show was above them. Hovering in the sky, about a quarter mile away, was a massive free-floating island of glowing purple stone. It was hard to judge its size, but Leo figured it was at least as wide as a football stadium and just as tall. The sides were rugged cliffs, riddled with caves, and every once in a while a gust of wind burst out with a sound like a pipe organ blast. At the top of the rock, brass walls ringed some kind of a fortress.

The only thing connecting Pikes Peak to the floating island was a narrow bridge of ice that glistened in the moonlight. Riss swore in Latin, which Jason choked on laughter at and the girl reached out to grab Thalia's hand.

Then Leo realized the bridge wasn't exactly ice, because it wasn't solid. As the winds changed direction, the bridge snaked around—blurring and thinning, in some places even breaking into a dotted line like the vapor trail of a plane.

"We're not seriously crossing that," Leo said.

Thalia shrugged. "I'm not a big fan of heights, I'll admit. But if you want to get to Aeolus's fortress, this is the only way."

Riss shook her head, "You don't need to come with us."

"Is the fortress always hanging there?" Piper asked. "How can people not notice it sitting on top of Pikes Peak?"

"The Mist," Thalia said. "Still, mortals do notice it indirectly. Some days, Pikes Peak looks purple. People say it's a trick of the light, but actually it's the color of Aeolus's palace, reflecting off the mountain face."

"It's enormous," Jason said.

Thalia laughed. "You should see Olympus, little brother."

"You're serious? You've been there?"

Thalia grimaced as if it wasn't a good memory and Riss winced. Thalia's experience in Olympus ended in her being squashed by a statue and Luke had died. Riss had been the one holding Luke's hand beside Annabeth and although she hadn't known him long and he _had_ betrayed her and Percy, Riss was devastated to watch Luke's eyes lose their light. Jason watched in worry as a light sheen of tears pooled in Riss' sea-green orbs.

The Grace girl shook it off, "We should go across in two different groups. The bridge is fragile."

"That's reassuring," Leo said. "Jason, can't you just fly us up there?"

Thalia laughed. Then she seemed to realize Leo's question wasn't a joke. "Wait…Jason, you can fly?"

Jason gazed up at the floating fortress. "Well, sort of. More like I can control the winds. But the winds up here are so strong, I'm not sure I'd want to try. Thalia, you mean…you can't fly?"

For a second, Thalia looked genuinely afraid. Then she got her expression under control. Leo realized she was a lot more scared of heights than she was letting on.

"Scared shitless," Riss muttered, seeming to read Leo's mind. "You'd never even _try_."

"Truthfully," Thalia said, seeming to agree with Riss' mutters, "I've never tried. Might be better if we stuck to the bridge."

Coach Hedge tapped the ice vapor trail with his hoof, then jumped onto the bridge. Amazingly, it held his weight. "Easy! I'll go first. Piper, come on, girl. I'll give you a hand."

"No, that's okay," Piper started to say, but the coach grabbed her hand and dragged her up the bridge.

When they were about halfway, the bridge still seemed to be holding them just fine.

Thalia turned to her Hunter friend. "Phoebe, I'll be back soon. Go find the others. Tell them I'm on my way."

"You sure?" Phoebe narrowed her eyes at Leo and Jason, like they might kidnap Thalia or something. Riss rolled her eyes and saluted Phoebe, making the girl's eyes look less hard as her lips curves up slightly.

"It's fine," Thalia promised.

Phoebe nodded reluctantly, then raced down the mountain path, the white wolves at her heels. Riss pursed her lips. "I'm gonna miss that girl."

"Jason, Leo, just be careful where you step," Thalia said. "It hardly ever breaks."

"It hasn't met me yet," Leo muttered, but he and Jason led the way up the bridge.

Riss narrowed her eyes, "Well, that's reassuring…" Thalia gulped and Riss grabbed her friend's hand, gently leading her along beside the two boys.

 **XXXXX**

Halfway up, things went wrong, and of course it was Leo's fault. Piper and Hedge had already made it safely to the top and were waving at them, encouraging them to keep climbing, but Leo got distracted. He was thinking about bridges—how he would design something way more stable than this shifting ice vapor business if this were his palace. He was pondering braces and support columns. Then a sudden revelation stopped him in his tracks.

"Why do they have a bridge?" he asked.

"You're asking this _now_ ," Riss demanded, her grip still tight on Thalia's hand. The daughter of Zeus was coping well enough with the height but Nerissa though she was better off safe than sorry and kept holding onto Thalia.

Thalia frowned. "Leo, this isn't a good place to stop. What do you mean?"

"They're wind spirits," Leo said. "Can't they fly?"

"Yes, but sometimes they need a way to connect to the world below."

"So the bridge isn't always here?" Leo asked.

Thalia shook her head. "The wind spirits don't like to anchor to the earth, but sometimes it's necessary. Like now. They know you're coming."

Leo's mind was racing. He was so excited he could almost feel his body's temperature rising. He couldn't quite put his thoughts into words, but he knew he was on to something important.

"Leo?" Jason said. "What are you thinking?"

"Oh, gods," Thalia said. "Keep moving. Look at your feet."

Leo shuffled backward. With horror, he realized his body temperature really was rising, just as it had years ago at that picnic table under the pecan tree, when his anger had gotten away from him. Now, excitement was causing the reaction. His pants steamed in the cold air. His shoes were literally smoking, and the bridge didn't like it. The ice was thinning.

"Leo, stop it," Jason warned. "You're going to melt it."

"I'll try," Leo said. But his body was overheating on its own, running as fast as his thoughts. "Listen, Jason, what did Hera call you in that dream? She called you a bridge."

Riss waved her hands, the ice strengthening slightly with her powers but the Leo's fire was far stronger than the thin ice.

"Leo, seriously, cool down," Thalia said. "I don't what you're talking about, but the bridge is—"

"Just listen," Leo insisted. "If Jason is a bridge, what's he connecting? Maybe two different places that normally don't get along—like the air palace and the ground. You had to be somewhere before this, right? And Hera said you were an exchange."

"An exchange." Thalia's eyes widened. "Oh, gods."

Riss shook her head quickly, gripping her head, "No…no, this can't be happening."

Jason frowned. "What are you three talking about?"

Thalia murmured something like a prayer. "I understand now why Artemis sent me here. Jason—she told me to hunt for Lycaon and I would find a clue about Percy. You are the clue. Artemis wanted us to meet so I could hear your story."

"I don't understand," he protested. "I don't have a story. I don't remember anything."

The sea-green-eyed girl bit her lip, letting go of Thalia's hand to nervously lace her fingers together, "You are incredibly important, Jason. I know that Percy might be at a possible other camp, we just need to unlock your memories."

"But Leo's right," Thalia added. "It's all connected. If we just knew where—"

Leo snapped his fingers. "Jason, what did you call that place in your dream? That ruined house. The Wolf House?"

Thalia nearly choked. "The Wolf House? Jason, why didn't you tell me that! That's where they're keeping Hera?"

"You know where it is?" Jason asked.

Then the bridge dissolved. Leo would've fallen to his death, but Jason grabbed his coat and pulled him to safety. Riss almost slipped off as well but the ice shot out to grab her and Jason hauled her along with him. The three of them scrambled up the bridge, and when they turned, Thalia was on the other side of a thirty-foot chasm. The bridge was continuing to melt.

"Thalia!" Riss yelled and reached out a hand to remake the bridge. The daughter of Poseidon despised how weak she was without Percy with her and the ice bridge broke down a lot faster than it was remade.

"Go!" Thalia shouted, backing down the bridge as it crumbled. "Find out where the giant is keeping Piper's dad. Save him! I'll take the Hunters to the Wolf House and hold it until you can get there. We can do both!"

"But where is the Wolf House?" Jason shouted.

"You know where it is, little brother!" She was so far away now that they could barely hear her voice over the wind. Leo was pretty sure she said: "I'll see you there. I promise."

Then she turned and raced down the dissolving bridge.

Riss, Leo and Jason had no time to stand around. They climbed for their lives, the ice vapor thinning under their feet. Several times, Jason grabbed Leo and Riss, using the winds to keep them aloft, but it was more like bungee jumping than flying.

When they reached the floating island, Piper and Coach Hedge pulled them aboard just as the last of the vapor bridge vanished. They stood gasping for breath at the base of a stone stairway chiseled into the side of the cliff, leading up to the fortress.

Leo looked back down. The top of Pikes Peak floated below them in a sea of clouds, but there was no sign of Thalia. And Leo had just burned their only exit.

"What happened?" Piper demanded. "Leo, why are your clothes smoking?"

"I got a little heated," he gasped. "Sorry, Jason. Honest. I didn't—"

"It's all right," Jason said, but his expression was grim. "We've got less than twenty-four hours to rescue a goddess and Piper's dad. Let's go see the king of the winds."

"And let's hope he's not as cryptic as Boreas."

 **XXXXX**

Jason had found his sister and lost her in less than an hour. As they climbed the cliffs of the floating island, he kept looking back but Thalia was gone. Riss' hand was clutched in his, offering him a type of comfort that sent his heart racing as they walked.

Despite what she'd said about meeting him again, Jason wondered. She'd found a new family with the Hunters, and a new mother in Artemis. She seemed so confident and comfortable with her life, Jason wasn't sure if he'd ever be part of it. And she seemed so set on finding her friend Percy. Had she ever searched for Jason that way?

 _Not fair_ , he told himself _. She thought you were dead_.

He could barely tolerate what she'd said about their mom. It was almost like Thalia had handed him a baby—a really loud, ugly baby—and said, _Here, this is yours. Carry it_. He didn't want to carry it. He didn't want to look at it or claim it. He didn't want to know that he had an unstable mother who'd gotten rid of him to appease a goddess. No wonder Thalia had run away.

Then he remembered the Zeus cabin at Camp Half-Blood—that tiny little alcove Thalia had used as a bunk, out of sight from the glowering statue of the sky god. Their dad wasn't much of a bargain, either. Jason understood why Thalia had renounced that part of her life too, but he was still resentful. He couldn't be so lucky. He was left holding the bag —literally.

The golden backpack of winds was strapped over his shoulders. The closer they got to Aeolus's palace, the heavier the bag got. The winds struggled, rumbling and bumping around. Jason's jaw was tight, eyes darkened in annoyance.

Riss slid her fingers down Jason's arm. "Stop thinking so hard about your mother, Jase. It's in the past."

Jason didn't even bother to ask how Riss knew what he was thinking about. They had a connection neither could explain and Jason was grateful that although she knew what he was worrying about, she didn't pry. The son of Zeus changed the subject, "What did Thalia mean by 'recruit'?"

The dark-haired girl blushed lightly, something that was very rare for her. "Artemis wanted me to become a Hunter, she offered a place for all three of us – Annabeth, Thalia and I. Only Thalia accepted, if you didn't already guess." Riss shook her head, "It doesn't matter."

"Does too," Jason disagreed. "For what it's worth…I'm glad you didn't accept."

Riss, impulsively leant forward, aiming to press a small kiss to Jason's cheek. He blushed deep red because her lips had instead met his own, having turned his head at the last second. Their lips meshed together for a few moments, stopping so that her arms could wrap around his neck and his hands flew to her hips. They flew off into their own little world, warmed by the other's touch. A tidal wave of emotions swelled in Riss' chest, feelings that she had tried so desperately to squash.

Almost as if he had sensed where Riss' thoughts were going, Jason pressed his lips harder against the daughter of Poseidon's, pulling her impossibly closer. Their lips parted slightly and their tongues danced together, both demigods uncaring of a possible audience or the fact that they were on the side of a mountain, about to meet a god.

They broke apart, breathless and Riss smiled dreamily, "I am too."

Jason grinned, putting his hand against Riss' cheek. "I know we haven't known each other for very long but I—"

"Come on, cupcakes! Only a few thousand more steps!"

Hedge's voice snapped the pair out of their reverie, Jason and Riss having been staring deep into each other's eyes.

"We'll talk later," Riss promised and leant forward to kiss Jason again.

Jason's eyes were unfocused as Riss pulled away and linked her hand back with his. They continued to climb, Leo and Piper leaving Jason and Riss in their silence. They just remained hand-in-hand, walking along at a comfortable pace and occasionally squeezing the others' hand.

Piper kept glancing back, worried, as if he were the one who'd almost died of hypothermia rather than she. Or maybe she was thinking about Thalia's idea. They'd told her what Thalia had said on the bridge—how they could save both her dad and Hera—but Jason didn't really understand how they were going to do that, and he wasn't sure if the possibility had made Piper more hopeful or just more anxious.

Leo kept swatting his own legs, checking for signs that his pants were on fire. He wasn't steaming anymore, but the incident on the ice bridge had really freaked Jason out. Leo hadn't seemed to realize that he had smoke coming out his ears and flames dancing through his hair. If Leo started spontaneously combusting every time he got excited, they were going to have a tough time taking him anywhere. Jason imagined trying to get food at a restaurant. _I'll have a cheeseburger and—Ahhh! My friend's on fire! Get me a bucket!_

Riss was brushing her fingers against Jason's tattoo, shivers shooting down his spine. She'd occasionally pause slightly to summon some water to her hand, almost as if to check if she could still do it. The 'twin thing' was beginning to annoy – and scare – Riss; the Jackson girl would often notice small scratches and bruises appear on her body even though she hadn't done anything to get them and Riss had put two-and-two together – the injuries belonged to Percy.

Jason tried to ignore how his heart stuttered when Riss was near but he always shoved the thoughts away. He had no memory, his girlfriend was apparently Piper and he was currently on a quest that could end in their deaths, Jason couldn't afford to worry and get too emotionally invested in a girl he barely knew.

 _But that kiss_ …

Mostly, though, Jason worried about what Leo had said. Jason didn't want to be a bridge, or an exchange, or anything else. He just wanted to know where he'd come from. And Thalia had looked so unnerved when Leo mentioned the burned-out house in his dreams—the place the wolf Lupa had told him was his starting point. How did Thalia know that place, and why did she assume Jason could find it?

The answer seemed close. But the nearer Jason got to it, the less it cooperated, like the winds on his back.

Finally they arrived at the top of the island. Bronze walls marched all the way around the fortress grounds, though Jason couldn't imagine who would possibly attack this place. Twenty-foot-high gates opened for them, and a road of polished purple stone led up to the main citadel—a white-columned rotunda, Greek style, like one of the monuments in Washington, D.C.—except for the cluster of satellite dishes and radio towers on the roof.

" _Shiny_ ," Riss deadpanned and raised a brow.

"That's bizarre," Piper said.

"Guess you can't get cable on a floating island," Leo said. "Dang, check this guy's front yard."

The rotunda sat in the center of a quarter-mile circle. The grounds were amazing in a scary way. They were divided into four sections like big pizza slices, each one representing a season. Riss' mind immediately flashed to pizza, both Jackson's having a rather irrational love for all things _pizza_.

The section on their right was an icy waste, with bare trees and a frozen lake. Snowmen rolled across the landscape as the wind blew, so Jason wasn't sure if they were decorations or alive.

To their left was an autumn park with gold and red trees. Mounds of leaves blew into patterns—gods, people, animals that ran after each other before scattering back into leaves.

In the distance, Jason could see two more areas behind the rotunda. One looked like a green pasture with sheep made out of clouds. The last section was a desert where tumbleweeds scratched strange patterns in the sand like Greek letters, smiley faces, and a huge advertisement that read: _Watch Aeolus Nightly_!

"One section for each of the four wind gods," Jason guessed. "Four cardinal directions."

"I'm loving that pasture." Coach Hedge licked his lips. "You guys mind—"

"Be free, goat-man," Riss rolled her eyes, crossing her arms.

Jason was actually relieved Riss had sent the satyr off. It would be hard enough getting on Aeolus's good side without Coach Hedge waving his club and screaming, "Die!"

While the satyr ran off to attack springtime, Jason, Riss, Leo and Piper walked down the road to the steps of the palace. They passed through the front doors into a white marble foyer decorated with purple banners that read _Olympian Weather Channel_ , and some that just read _ow_!

"Hello!" A woman floated up to them. _Literally floated_. She was pretty in that elfish way Jason associated with nature spirits at Camp Half-Blood —petite, slightly pointy ears, and an ageless face that could've been sixteen or thirty. Her brown eyes twinkled cheerfully. Even though there was no wind, her dark hair blew in slow motion, shampoo-commercial style. Her white gown billowed around her like parachute material. Jason couldn't tell if she had feet, but if so, they didn't touch the floor. She had a white tablet computer in her hand.

"Are you from Lord Zeus?" The woman asked. "We've been expecting you."

Jason tried to respond, but it was a little hard to think straight, because he'd realized the woman was see-through. Her shape faded in and out like she was made of fog.

"Are you a ghost?" he asked.

Right away he knew he'd insulted her. The smile turned into a pout and Riss hit Jason on the arm, making the boy shoot her a look.

" _Ooh_ ," Riss cooed, taking in the appearance of the woman. She was truly stunning, despite being almost transparent. "An _aura_! Isn't she just beautiful, Jase?"

Jason nodded but his eyes didn't stray from Riss, who was holding onto his arm and was pressed closely to him. Her face was lightly covered in dirt, her scar had become more prominent on her face against her pale skin but still, Nerissa Jackson looked beautiful in his eyes.

"An _aura_ is a wind nymph," the _aura_ blushed and clarified for Piper and Leo, who looked confused, "as you might expect, working for the lord of the winds. My name is Mellie. We don't have _ghosts_."

Piper came to the rescue like Riss had done, layering on the compliment a bit thicker. "No, of course you don't! My friend simply mistook you for Helen of Troy, the most beautiful mortal of all time. It's an easy mistake to make."

Wow, they were good. The second compliment seemed a little over the top, but Mellie the _aura_ blushed again. "Oh…well, then. So you are from Zeus?"

"Er," Jason said, "I'm the son of Zeus, yeah."

"Excellent! Please, right this way." She led them through some security doors into another lobby, consulting her tablet as she floated. She didn't look where she was going, but apparently it didn't matter as she drifted straight through a marble column with no problem. "We're out of prime time now, so that's good," she mused. "I can fit you in right before his twelve-past-eleven spot."

"Um, okay," Jason said.

Riss nudged Jason, "That sounds amazing, thank you, Mellie."

The lobby was a pretty distracting place. Winds blasted around them, so Jason felt like he was pushing through an invisible crowd. Doors blew open and slammed by themselves.

The things Jason could see were just as bizarre. Paper airplanes of all different sizes and shapes sped around, and other wind nymphs, _aurai_ , would occasionally pluck them out of the air, unfold and read them, then toss them back into the air, where the planes would refold themselves and keep flying.

An ugly creature fluttered past. She looked like a mix between an old lady and a chicken on steroids. She had a wrinkled face with black hair tied in a hairnet, arms like a human plus wings like a chicken, and a fat, feathered body with talons for feet. It was amazing she could fly at all. She kept drifting around and bumping into things like a parade balloon.

"Not an aura?" Jason asked Mellie as the creature wobbled by.

Riss smiled at the Grace boy, "That's a _harpy_ , darling."

Mellie laughed. "Harpies are our, ah, ugly stepsisters, I suppose you would say. Don't you have harpies on Olympus? They're spirits of violent gusts, unlike us _aurai_. We're all gentle breezes." She batted her eyes at Jason.

"'Course you are," he said.

Riss rolled her eyes, "The renovation to Olympus is still progressing, so, no harpies." That was the truth. The demigods had been rebuilding Olympus under Annabeth's guidance and often, Annabeth had requested that the harpies weren't there with their… _violent gusts_.

"So," Piper prompted, "you were taking us to see Aeolus?"

Mellie led them through a set of doors like an airlock. Above the interior door, a green light blinked.

"We have a few minutes before he starts," Mellie said cheerfully. "He probably won't kill you if we go in now. Come along!"

" _Yay…_ " Riss muttered dryly. "We have a fifty-fifty chance of being killed by a weatherman…" The Jackson girl's fingers trailed down to hold Jason's hand in a vice-like grip, a grip that Jason returned just as tightly.

 **XXXXX**

Jason's jaw dropped. The central section of Aeolus's fortress was as big as a cathedral, with a soaring domed roof covered in silver. Television equipment floated randomly through the air—cameras, spotlights, set pieces, potted plants. And there was no floor. Leo almost fell into the chasm before Jason pulled him back. Riss checked the Valdez boy over, making sure he wasn't injured and he smiled in thanks.

" _Holy_ —!" Leo gulped. "Hey, Mellie. A little warning next time!"

An enormous circular pit plunged into the heart of the mountain. It was probably half a mile deep, honeycombed with caves. Some of the tunnels probably led straight outside. Jason remembered seeing winds blast out of them when they'd been on Pikes Peak. Other caves were sealed with some glistening material like glass or wax. The whole cavern bustled with harpies, _aurai_ , and paper airplanes, but for someone who couldn't fly, it would be a very long, very fatal fall. Riss seemed to be thinking along the same lines, her bottom lip firmly trapped between her teeth.

"Oh, my," Mellie gasped. "I'm so sorry." She unclipped a walkie-talkie from somewhere inside her robes and spoke into it: "Hello, sets? Is that Nuggets? Hi, Nuggets. Could we get a floor in the main studio, please? Yes, a solid one. Thanks."

A few seconds later, an army of harpies rose from the pit—three dozen or so demon chicken ladies, all carrying squares of various building material. They went to work hammering and gluing—and using large quantities of duct tape, which didn't reassure Jason. In no time there was a makeshift floor snaking out over the chasm. It was made of plywood, marble blocks, carpet squares, wedges of grass sod—just about anything.

"That can't be safe," Jason said.

"Oh, it is!" Mellie assured him. "The harpies are very good."

Easy for her to say. She just drifted across without touching the floor, but Jason decided he had the best chance at surviving, since he could fly, so he stepped out first. Amazingly, the floor held.

"Oh, I'm sure it is, Mellie." Riss' grip tightened on his hand and followed him. The Grace boy ran his thumb over Riss' fingers, not feeling the cold metal of the ring she usually wore. "If I fall, you're catching me, flyboy."

"Absolutely." Jason hoped he wasn't blushing.

Leo stepped out next. "You're catching me and Piper, too, Superman. But I ain't holding your hand."

The green-eyed girl laughed at Leo's comment and all four demigods crossed the new floor, Leo carefully helping Piper across.

Mellie led them toward the middle of the chamber, where a loose sphere of flat-panel video screens floated around a kind of control center. A man hovered inside, checking monitors and reading paper airplane messages.

The man paid them no attention as Mellie brought them forward. She pushed a forty-two-inch Sony out of their way and led them into the control area.

Leo whistled. "I _got_ to get a room like this."

Riss' eyes trailed over the room, awestruck, "I'll help you pay for it if you share with me."

The floating screens showed all sorts of television programs. Some Jason recognized—news broadcasts, mostly—but some programs looked a little strange: gladiators fighting, demigods battling monsters. Maybe they were movies, but they looked more like reality shows.

At the far end of the sphere was a silky blue backdrop like a cinema screen, with cameras and studio lights floating around it.

The man in the center was talking into an earpiece phone. He had a remote control in each hand and was pointing them at various screens, seemingly at random.

He wore a business suit that looked like the sky—blue mostly, but dappled with clouds that changed and darkened and moved across the fabric. He looked like he was in his sixties, with a shock of white hair, but he had a ton of stage makeup on, and that smooth plastic-surgery look to his face, so he appeared not really young, not really old, just _wrong_ —like a Ken doll someone had halfway melted in a microwave.

"That is something I will never unsee," Riss muttered quietly. She turned her head and hid her face for a few moments in Jason's shoulder, legitimately creeped out by the man's face, who she assumed was actually _Aeolus_.

His eyes darted back and forth from screen to screen, like he was trying to absorb everything at once. He muttered things into his phone, and his mouth kept twitching. He was either amused, or crazy, or both.

" _Crazy_ ," Riss whispered and Jason realised that he had spoken his thoughts aloud.

Mellie floated toward him. "Ah, sir, Mr. Aeolus, these demigods—"

"Hold it!" He held up a hand to silence her, then pointed at one of the screens. "Watch!"

It was one of those storm-chaser programs, where insane thrill-seekers drive after tornados. As Jason watched, a Jeep plowed straight into a funnel cloud and got tossed into the sky.

Aeolus shrieked with delight. "The Disaster Channel. People do that _on purpose_!" He turned toward Jason with a mad grin. "Isn't that amazing? Let's watch it again."

"Um, sir," Mellie said, "this is Jason, son of—"

"Yes, yes, I remember," Aeolus said. "You're back. How did it go?"

Jason hesitated. "Sorry? I think you've mistaken me—"

"No, no, Jason Grace, aren't you? It was—what—last year? You were on your way to fight a sea monster, I believe."

"I—I don't remember."

Aeolus laughed. "Must not have been a very good sea monster! No, I remember every hero who's ever come to me for aid. Odysseus—gods, he docked at my island for a month! At least you only stayed a few days. Now, watch this video. These ducks get sucked straight into—"

Riss met Jason's confused gaze, "He _met_ you – _pre-_ amnesia."

Jason's lips parted in surprise and he turned his gaze back to the master of the wind in front of them. Maybe he knew something about Jason – the _real_ Jason Grace.

But Jason couldn't help but feel terrified. If he found out who he used to be, what did that mean for the _him_ he was now? – the Jason Grace who had Nerissa Jackson holding him close and kissing him and making him feel all kinds of at home.

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **A KISS! A JERISSA KISS! IT WAS AN ACCIDENT BUT IT WAS STILL A KISS!**

 **I'm dying and I effing wrote this. Bloody Hell.**

 **BUT A KISS!**

 **I hope it was worth the wait! Tell me what you think. But** **Jerissa is happening, my darling readers, especially in this long chapter. But what did Jason want to say before he was cut off?**

 **Please review, follow and favorite. And like always: FIVE REVIEWS FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

 **~ Raven**


	18. SIGMA

_**SIGMA | THEY'RE ALL MAD THERE**_

* * *

 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Heroes of Olympus series or any of the characters. I only own the character Nerissa Jackson and her original plot lines and dialogue.**

* * *

 **THE CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO BooHooMtDew, 1, yasminasfeir1, Arianna Le Fay,** ** _NicoleR85_** **,** ** _Phoenixfire Produtions_** **,** ** _Spunky89_** **,** ** _DreamHunterVo_** **,** ** _Guest_** **AND** ** _someone_** **FOR YOUR REVIEWS! I'M SO GLAD YOU ALL LIKED THE JERISSA KISS!**

* * *

"Sir," Mellie interrupted, looking nervous. "Two minutes to air."

"Air!" Aeolus exclaimed. "I love air. How do I look? Makeup!"

Immediately a small tornado of brushes, blotters, and cotton balls descended on Aeolus. They blurred across his face in a cloud of flesh-tone smoke until his coloration was even more gruesome than before. Wind swirled through his hair and left it sticking up like a frosted Christmas tree.

"Mr. Aeolus." Jason slipped off the golden backpack. "We brought you these rogue storm spirits."

"Did you!" Aeolus looked at the bag like it was a gift from a fan—something he really didn't want. "Well, how nice."

Leo nudged him, and Jason offered the bag. "Boreas sent us to capture them for you. We hope you'll accept them and stop—you know—ordering demigods to be killed."

Aeolus laughed, and looked incredulously at Mellie. "Demigods be killed—did I order that?"

Mellie checked her computer tablet. "Yes, sir, fifteenth of September. 'Storm spirits released by the death of Typhon, demigods to be held responsible,' etc…yes, a general order for them all to be killed."

"Oh, _pish_ ," Aeolus said. "I was just grumpy. Rescind that order, Mellie, and um, who's on guard duty—Teriyaki?—Teri, take these storm spirits down to cell block Fourteen E, will you?"

A harpy swooped out of nowhere, snatched the golden bag, and spiraled into the abyss.

Aeolus grinned at Jason. "Now, sorry about that kill-on-sight business. But gods, I really was mad, wasn't I?" His face suddenly darkened, and his suit did the same, the lapels flashing with lightning. "You know … I remember now. Almost seemed like a voice was telling me to give that order. A little cold tingle on the back of my neck."

Jason tensed. A cold tingle on the back of his neck…Why did that sound so familiar? "A…um, voice in your head, sir?"

"Yes. How odd. Mellie, _should_ we kill them?"

"No, sir," she said patiently. "They just brought us the storm spirits, which makes everything all right."

"Of course." Aeolus laughed. "Sorry. Mellie, let's send the demigods something nice. A box of chocolates, perhaps."

"A box of chocolates to _every_ demigod in the world, sir?"

"No, too expensive. Never mind. Wait, it's time! I'm on!"

Aeolus flew off toward the blue screen as newscast music started to play.

Jason looked at Piper and Leo, who seemed just as confused as he was. Riss just rolled her eyes like she was used to temperamental gods and goddesses. Given that she was a Jackson, Jason assumed she was.

"Mellie," he said, "is he…always like that?"

She smiled sheepishly. "Well, you know what they say. If you don't like his mood, wait five minutes. That expression 'whichever way the wind blows'—that was based on him."

"I swear, every Olympian and Titan is the same. They need to sort themselves out," Riss shook her head. Her father was the same—he was constantly changing the ocean to his moods, Zeus made the sky rumble and Hades—well, Riss didn't really know what Hades did when he was pissed off but she was sure it wasn't good.

"And that thing about the sea monster," Jason said. " _Was_ I here before?"

Mellie blushed. "I'm sorry, I don't remember. I'm Mr. Aeolus's new assistant. I've been with him longer than most, but still—not that long."

"How long do his assistants usually last?" Piper asked. "

Oh…" Mellie thought for a moment. "I've been doing this for…twelve hours?"

"I pray for you, darling," Riss frowned lightly.

A voice blared from floating speakers: " _And now, weather every twelve minutes! Here's your forecaster for Olympian Weather—the OW! Channel—Aeolus_!"

Lights blazed on Aeolus, who was now standing in front of the blue screen. His smile was unnaturally white, and he looked like he'd had so much caffeine his face was about to explode.

"Hello, Olympus! Aeolus, master of the winds here, with weather every twelve! We'll have a low-pressure system moving over Florida today, so expect milder temperatures since Demeter wishes to spare the citrus farmers!" He gestured at the blue screen, but when Jason checked the monitors, he saw that a digital image was being projected behind Aeolus, so it looked like he was standing in front of a U.S. map with animated smiley suns and frowny storm clouds. "Along the eastern seaboard—oh, hold on." He tapped his earpiece. "Sorry, folks! Poseidon is angry with Miami today—"

" _Excuse me_?" Riss raised a brow, eyeing Aeolus. "I remember dad saying he was going to leave Miami alone. Gods, mom and Paul were going to visit this weekend."

"—so it looks like that Florida freeze is back on! Sorry, Demeter. Over in the Midwest, I'm not sure what St. Louis did to offend Zeus, but you can expect winter storms! Boreas himself is being called down to punish the area with ice. Bad news, Missouri! No, wait. Hephaestus feels sorry for central Missouri, so you all will have much more moderate temperatures and sunny skies."

Aeolus kept going like that—forecasting each area of the country and changing his prediction two or three times as he got messages over his earpiece—the gods apparently putting in orders for various winds and weather.

"This can't be right," Jason whispered. "Weather isn't this random."

Mellie smirked. "And how often are the mortal weathermen right? They talk about fronts and air pressure and moisture, but the weather surprises them all the time. At least Aeolus tells us _why_ it's so unpredictable. Very hard job, trying to appease all the gods at once. It's enough to drive anyone…" She trailed off, but Jason knew what she meant. _Mad._ Aeolus was completely mad.

"And that's the weather," Aeolus concluded. "See you in twelve minutes, because I'm sure it'll change!"

The lights shut off, the video monitors went back to random coverage, and just for a moment, Aeolus's face sagged with weariness. Then he seemed to remember he had guests, and he put a smile back on.

"So, you brought me some rogue storm spirits," Aeolus said. "I suppose…thanks! And did you want something else? I assume so. Demigods always do."

" _Rude_."

Mellie said, "Um, sir, this is Zeus's son."

"Yes, yes. I know that. I said I remembered him from before."

"But, sir, they're here from _Olympus_."

Aeolus looked stunned. Then he laughed so abruptly, Jason almost jumped into the chasm. Riss' tight grip on his hand keeps him grounded. "You mean you're here on behalf of your father this time? Finally! I _knew_ they would send someone to renegotiate my contract!"

"Um, what?" Jason asked.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Aeolus sighed with relief. "It's been what, three thousand years since Zeus made me master of the winds. Not that I'm ungrateful, of course! But really, my contract is so vague. Obviously I'm immortal, but 'master of the winds.' What does that mean? Am I a nature spirit? A demigod? A god? I _want_ to be god of the winds, because the benefits are _so_ much better. Can we start with that?"

Jason looked at his friends, mystified.

"Dude," Leo said, "you think we're here to promote you?"

"You are, then?" Aeolus grinned. His business suit turned completely blue—not a cloud in the fabric. "Marvelous! I mean, I think I've shown quite a bit of initiative with the weather channel, eh? And of course I'm in the press all the time. So many books have been written about me: _Into Thin Air_ , _Up in the Air_ , _Gone with the Wind_ —"

"Er, I don't think those are about you," Jason said, before he noticed Mellie shaking her head. "Nonsense," Aeolus said. "Mellie, they're biographies of me, aren't they?"

"Absolutely, sir," she squeaked.

"There, you see? I don't read. Who has time? But obviously the mortals love me. So, we'll change my official title to god of the winds. Then, about salary and staff—"

"Sir," Jason said, "we're not from Olympus."

Aeolus blinked. "But—"

"I'm the son of Zeus, yes," Jason said, "but we're not here to negotiate your contract. We're on a quest and we need your help."

Aeolus's expression hardened. "Like last time? Like every hero who comes here? Demigods! It's always about you, isn't it?"

"Sir, please, I don't remember last time, but if you helped me once before—"

"I'm always helping! Well, sometimes I'm destroying, but mostly I'm helping, and sometimes I'm asked to do both at the same time! Why, Aeneas, the first of your kind—"

"My kind?" Jason asked. "You mean, demigods?"

Riss frowned, "No…he means something else."

"Oh, please!" Aeolus said. "I mean your line of demigods. You know, Aeneas, son of Venus—the only surviving hero of Troy. When the Greeks burned down his city, he escaped to Italy, where he founded the kingdom that would eventually become Rome, blah, blah, blah. That's what I meant."

"I don't get it," Jason admitted.

Aeolus rolled his eyes. "The point being, I was thrown in the middle of that conflict, too! Juno calls up: 'Oh, Aeolus, destroy Aeneas's ships for me. I don't like him.' Then Neptune says, 'No, you don't! That's my territory. Calm the winds.' Then Juno is like, 'No, wreck his ships, or I'll tell Jupiter you're uncooperative!' Do you think it's easy juggling requests like that?"

"No," Jason said. "I guess not."

"And don't get me started on Amelia Earhart! I'm still getting angry calls from Olympus about knocking her out of the sky!"

"We just want information," Piper said in her most calming voice. "We hear you know everything."

Aeolus straightened his lapels and looked slightly mollified. "Well…that's true, of course. For instance, I know that this business here—" he waggled his fingers at the three of them "—this harebrained scheme of Juno's to bring you all together is likely to end in bloodshed. As for you, Piper McLean, I know your father is in serious trouble." He held out his hand, and a scrap of paper fluttered into his grasp. It was a photo of Piper with a guy who must've been her dad. His face did look familiar. Jason was pretty sure he'd seen him in some movies.

Piper took the photo. Her hands were shaking. "This—this is from his wallet."

"Yes," Aeolus said. "All things lost in the wind eventually come to me. The photo blew away when the Earthborn captured him."

"The what?" Piper asked.

Aeolus waved aside the question and narrowed his eyes at Leo. "Now, you, son of Hephaestus…yes, I see your future." Another paper fell into the wind god's hands—an old tattered drawing done in crayons. Leo took it as if it might be coated in poison. He staggered backward.

"Leo?" Jason said. "What is it?"

"Something I—I drew when I was a kid." He folded it quickly and put it in his coat. "It's…yeah, it's nothing."

Aeolus laughed. "Really? Just the key to your success! And you, _Nerissa Jackson_ ," Riss stiffened, "you are so much more than you think you are." He moved his hands and this time a cord fell into his hands and Riss looked terrified.

" _No_ ," Riss growled, snatching the cord from Aeolus' hands. "You _shouldn't_ have this – I _burnt_ it with him!"

The master of the winds shook his head, "And _Juno_ wanted you to have it."

" _Screw, Juno_ ," Riss spat as she slipped the corded necklace over her neck, five beads with intricate images painted onto them. "Hera, Juno, whatever she calls herself, should learn not to mess with the dead."

There was a silence, the demigods, the _aura_ and Aeolus all quiet as Riss silently vented. Hera butted into things she shouldn't, despite being the Queen of the Gods. Jason pulled Riss close to her, worried about her and questioning watch she meant.

"Now, where were we?" Aeolus paused for a moment. "Ah, yes, you wanted information. Are you sure about that? Sometimes information can be dangerous." He smiled at Jason like he was issuing a challenge. Behind him, Mellie shook her head in warning.

"Yeah," Jason said. "We need to find the lair of Enceladus."

Aeolus's smile melted. "The giant? Why would you want to go there? He's horrible! He doesn't even watch my program!"

"He's missing _so much_."

Piper held up the photo. "Aeolus, he's got my father. We need to rescue him and find out where Hera is being held captive."

"Now, that's impossible," Aeolus said. "Even I can't see that, and believe me, I've tried. There's a veil of magic over Hera's location—very strong, impossible to locate."

"She's at a place called the Wolf House," Jason said.

"Hold on!" Aeolus put a hand to his forehead and closed his eyes. "I'm getting something! Yes, she's at a place called the Wolf House! Sadly, I don't know where that is."

Riss tilted her head and scoffed.

"Enceladus does," Piper persisted. "If you help us find him, we could get the location of the goddess—"

"Yeah," Leo said, catching on. "And if we save her, she'd be really grateful to you—"

"And Zeus might promote you," Jason added.

" _If_ we put in a good word for you," Riss finished.

Aeolus's eyebrows crept up. "A promotion—and all you want from me is the giant's location?"

"Well, if you could get us there, too," Jason amended, "that would be great."

Mellie clapped her hands in excitement. "Oh, he could do that! He often sends helpful winds—"

"Mellie, quiet!" Aeolus snapped. "I have half a mind to fire you for letting these people in under false pretenses."

Her face paled. "Yes, sir. Sorry, sir."

"It wasn't her fault," Jason said. "But about that help…"

Aeolus tilted his head as if thinking. Then Jason realized the wind lord was listening to voices in his earpiece.

"Well…Zeus approves," Aeolus muttered. "He says … he says it would be better if you could avoid saving her until after the weekend, because he has a big party planned— _Ow_! That's Aphrodite yelling at him, reminding him that the solstice starts at dawn. She says I should help you. And Hephaestus…yes. Hmm. Very rare they agree on anything. _Oh_ , there's Poseidon, he loves you very much Nerissa and he's proud of you and he wants me to help you or I might just discover that the winds and ocean might not work well together for very long. Hold on …"

Jason smiled at his friends. Finally, they were having some good luck. Their godly parents were standing up for them. Riss was smiling adoringly, she was the only one who a properly met her godly parent and she clearly love Poseidon as much as he loved her and her brothers.

Back toward the entrance, Jason heard a loud belch. Coach Hedge waddled in from the lobby, grass all over his face. Mellie saw him coming across the makeshift floor and caught her breath. "Who is that?"

Riss smirked and flicked her hand, water shooting out of nearby fountain to clean Hedge's face within a second.

Jason stifled a cough. "That? That's just Coach Hedge. Uh, Gleeson Hedge. He's our…" Jason wasn't sure what to call him: teacher, friend, problem? "Our guide."

"He's so _goatly_ ," Mellie murmured.

Behind her, Riss gagged and Piper poofed out her cheeks, pretending to vomit.

"What's up, guys?" Hedge trotted over. "Wow, nice place. Oh! Sod squares."

Riss smacked a hand to her forehead and huffed out a breath. Gleeson Hedge was _so_ stupid, sometimes.

"Coach, you just ate," Jason said. "And we're using the sod as a floor. This is, ah, Mellie—"

"An _aura_." Hedge smiled winningly. "Beautiful as a summer breeze." Mellie blushed.

"And Aeolus here was just about to help us," Jason said.

"Yes," the wind lord muttered. "It seems so. You'll find Enceladus on Mount Diablo."

"Devil Mountain?" Leo asked. "That doesn't sound good."

"I remember that place!" Piper said. "I went there once with my dad. It's just east of San Francisco Bay."

"The Bay Area again?" The coach shook his head. "Not good. Not good at all."

"Now…" Aeolus began to smile. "As to getting you there—"

Suddenly his face went slack. He bent over and tapped his earpiece as if it were malfunctioning. When he straightened again, his eyes were wild.

Despite the makeup, he looked like an old man—an old, very frightened man. "She hasn't spoke to me for centuries. I can't—yes, yes I understand." He swallowed, regarding Jason as if he had suddenly turned into a giant cockroach. "I'm sorry, son of Jupiter. New orders. You all have to die."

Mellie squeaked. "But—but, sir! Zeus said to help them. Aphrodite, Hephaestus—"

"Mellie!" Aeolus snapped. "Your job is already on the line. Besides, there are some orders that transcend even the wishes of the gods, especially when it comes to the forces of nature."

"Whose orders?" Jason said. "Zeus will fire you if you don't help us!"

"I doubt it." Aeolus flicked his wrist, and far below them, a cell door opened in the pit. Jason could hear storm spirits screaming out of it, spiraling up toward them, howling for blood.

"Even Zeus understands the order of things," Aeolus said. "And if she is waking—by all the gods—she cannot be denied. Good-bye, heroes. I'm terribly sorry, but I'll have to make this quick. I'm back on the air in four minutes."

Riss' eyes glowed a brilliant green, her voice rippling with a power that Jason could identify – _Zeus_. " _How dare you defy the gods? You dare defy us – we who give you the title 'master of the winds'._ "

Aeolus actually took a step back as Riss' sword appeared and Jason summoned his sword. Coach Hedge pulled out his club.

Mellie the _aura_ yelled, "No!"

She dived at their feet just as the storm spirits hit with hurricane force, blasting the floor to pieces, shredding the carpet samples and marble and linoleum into what should've been lethal projectiles, had Mellie's robes not spread out like a shield and absorbed the brunt of the impact. The six of them fell into the pit, and Aeolus screamed above them, "Mellie, you are so fired!"

"Fly into the Underworld!" Riss shouted back, eyes still glowing. " _You will pay for this!_ "

"Quick," Mellie yelled. "Son of Zeus, do you have any power over the air?"

"A little!"

"Then help me, or you're all dead!" Mellie grabbed his hand, and an electric charge went through Jason's arm. He understood what she needed. They had to control their fall and head for one of the open tunnels. The storm spirits were following them down, closing rapidly, bringing with them a cloud of deadly shrapnel.

Jason grabbed Riss' hand again, the girl having let go during her 'god-hijacking' episode. Riss latched onto Leo and Jason grabbed onto Piper's hand. "Group hug!"

Riss, Hedge, Leo, and Piper tried to huddle together, hanging on to Jason and Mellie as they fell.

"This is NOT GOOD!" Leo yelled.

"No freaking way, flame brain!?"

"Bring it on, gas bags!" Hedge yelled up at the storm spirits. "I'll pulverize you!"

"He's magnificent," Mellie sighed.

"Concentrate?" Jason prompted.

"Right!" she said.

They channeled the wind so their fall became more of a tumble into the nearest open chute. Still, they slammed into the tunnel at painful speed and went rolling over each other down a steep vent that was not designed for people. There was no way they could stop.

Mellie's robes billowed around her. Jason and the others clung to her desperately, and they began to slow down, but the storm spirits were screaming into the tunnel behind them.

"Can't—hold—long," Mellie warned. "Stay together! When the winds hit—"

"You're doing great, Mellie," Hedge said. "My own mama was an _aura_ , you know. She couldn't have done better herself."

"Iris-message me?" Mellie pleaded.

Hedge winked.

"Could you guys plan your date later?" Piper screamed. "Look!"

Behind them, the tunnel was turning dark. Jason could feel his ears pop as the pressure built.

"Can't hold them," Mellie warned. "But I'll try to shield you, do you one more favor." "Thanks, Mellie," Jason said. "I hope you get a new job."

Riss winked, "I'll try to get Poseidon to convince Zeus to offer you a position somewhere. Promise."

She smiled, and then dissolved, wrapping them in a warm gentle breeze. Then the real winds hit, shooting them into the sky so fast, the demigods and satyr blacked out.

 **XXXXX**

Riss was back on the shore of Camp Half-Blood, watching as Luke Castellan's body drifted away in a shrouded boat. Tears pooled in Annabeth's eyes, the blonde tucked into her taller friend's side. Riss hid her own tears – she hadn't known Luke very well or for nearly as long as Annabeth had but Luke had _saved_ her.

The waves rocked along the side of the boat and Riss' camp necklace lay on the top of the deceased demigod's body.

 _Annabeth passed Luke her blade – the_ cursed _blade – and Luke removed his hand from Riss' stomach, allowing Percy to get close enough to give his sister some water. Kronos' blade had slid just below Riss' ribs and Luke had come back to himself, just slightly, to be able to save her, knowing how much Annabeth and Thalia loved Riss._

 _The Jackson girl coughed, blood bubbling from her lips, the wound in her stomach staining her clothes. Percy desperately sent the water over his twin's stomach, the skin stitching itself back together slowly._

 _"_ _L-Luke…" The son of Hermes looked over to Riss and she smiled weakly. "Thank y-you."_

 _Luke smiled ever-so-slightly, pressing something into her hand – his necklace – and then the blade was hidden from Riss' view and Luke Castellan, son of Hermes, was…_ gone _._

The earth gave a rumble and Riss found herself alone on the beach – Montauk.

" _Little demigod…_ " the entity in the ground cooed and Riss froze. " _So powerful, so emotional…so_ naïve. "

"Piss off, Dirt-Face," Riss growled, her slim fingers tightening around her camp necklace in her hand.

The Dirt Woman grumbled, " _You are so important to Hera's plan and you don't even know it. You are a pawn in her game, along with your beloved son of Jupiter. But I…I could get your precious twin back to you._ "

"Leave him out of this! You can't control me."

And Riss made the waves rise, the ocean crashing down onto Riss. Her lungs filled with water, killing her, which was so unlike what she usually felt. The ocean had never drowned her, it had never hurt her before.

But now it was and it was snapping her out of her dream.

 **XXXXX**

Atropos raised the shears and breathed out a deep breath.

It was now or never.

She cut the string and a tiny strand of Nerissa Jackson's life thread fell into her palm. Atropos sighed and placed the life thread into a special flame, sending it to a person who could give the strand to Nerissa and hide it in plain sight.

The goddess who could hide the life thread in the Mist-manipulating ring she had temporarily stolen from the Jackson girl.

 **XXXXX**

Piper woke at a table at a sidewalk café in California, her friends sat in chairs around her. Riss looked troubled, her brow furrowed and her body pressed against Jason's for comfort, his arm around her waist and other than Riss, all of them were dozing pleasantly. And they all had new clothes on.

Piper looked down at her own outfit and gasped. "Mother!"

She yelled louder than she meant. Jason flinched, bumping the table with his knees, sending Riss into a jolt, and then all of them were awake.

"What?" Hedge demanded. "Fight who? Where?"

"Falling!" Leo grabbed the table. "No—not falling. Where are we?"

" _Drowning_!" Riss cried out, eyes wide in terror and Jason clutched onto her, blinking and trying to get his bearings. He focused on Piper and then looked at Riss, making a little choking sound at both. "What are you wearing?"

Piper probably blushed. She was wearing the turquoise dress she'd seen in her own dream, with black leggings and black leather boots. She had on her favorite silver charm bracelet, even though she'd left that back home in L.A., and her old snowboarding jacket from her dad, which amazingly went with the outfit pretty well. She pulled out Katoptris, and judging from the reflection in the blade, she'd gotten her hair done, too.

"It's nothing," she said. "It's my—" She remembered Aphrodite's warning not to mention that they'd talked. "It's nothing."

Riss gagged, "This is _not_ 'nothing.' I look…so not like me." She couldn't say she looked horrible because she didn't but she would've preferred to keep her Camp Half-Blood shirt. Riss sent a playful glare at Piper, "I blame you for this, McLean."

The Jackson girl was dressed in a pair of leather pants, knee-high boots and a deep-blue, cropped singlet covered with a black, netted top. A blue beaded ear cuff and anchor earrings were in her ears, the jewelry accompanying her Riss' camp necklace, her usual weapon necklace and a navy-blue and white striped bracelet.

Riss grinned down at her hand, "Oh, your mom even found my ring for me. I don't even remember losing it."

Even her usual black leather jacket sat in pristine condition over her shoulders. Jason noticed something when Riss got up and tossed on her leather jacket – a trident tattoo sat on her inner forearm, glowing a light green.

Jason didn't tear his eyes away from Riss, just taking in her full appearance with a mixture of awe and adoration on his face. The girl sat back down beside him and he leant forward, brushing his nose against her neck. Their kiss hadn't been too long ago but no they were drawn to each other like magnets and Riss shivered, adoring the feel of his lips as they drifted across her cheek.

Leo grinned. "Aphrodite strikes again, huh? You're gonna be the best-dressed warrior in town, beauty queen."

" _Shut up_ , Valdez."

"Hey, Leo." Jason nudged his arm. "You look at yourself recently?"

"What…oh."

"Yeah, 'oh,'" Riss teased.

All of them had been given a makeover. Leo was wearing pinstriped pants, black leather shoes, a white collarless shirt with suspenders, and his tool belt, Ray-Ban sunglasses, and a porkpie hat.

"God, Leo." Piper tried not to laugh. "I think my dad wore that to his last premiere, minus the tool belt."

"Hey, shut up!"

"I think he looks good," said Coach Hedge. "'Course, I look better."

The satyr was a pastel nightmare. Aphrodite had given him a baggy canary yellow zoot suit with two-tone shoes that fit over his hooves. He had a matching yellow broad-brimmed hat, a rose-colored shirt, a baby blue tie, and a blue carnation in his lapel, which Hedge sniffed and then ate.

"Well," Jason said, "at least your mom overlooked me."

Piper knew that wasn't exactly true. Looking at him, her heart did a little tap dance. Jason was dressed simply in jeans and a clean purple T-shirt, like he'd worn at the Grand Canyon. He had new track shoes on, and his hair was newly trimmed. His eyes were the same color as the sky. Aphrodite's message was clear: _This one needs no improvement._

Riss nodded, "I think it's 'cause you look pretty damn good without all the Hollywood glam." She seemed to notice what she said when Jason pulled her closer, smirking and she blushed. "Anyway, how in Hades did we get to _California_?"

"Oh, that would be Mellie," Hedge said, chewing happily on his carnation. "Those winds shot us halfway across the country, I'd guess. We would've been smashed flat on impact, but Mellie's last gift—a nice soft breeze—cushioned our fall."

"And she got fired for us," Leo said. "Man, we suck."

"Ah, she'll be fine," Hedge said. "Besides, she couldn't help herself. I've got that effect on nymphs. I'll send her a message when we're through with this quest and help her figure something out. That is one _aura_ I could settle down with and raise a herd of baby goats."

"Didn't need that mental image," Riss pursed her lips.

"I'm going to be sick," Piper said. "Anyone else want coffee?"

"Coffee!" Hedge's grin was stained blue from the flower. "I love coffee!"

"Um," Jason said, "but—money? Our packs?"

Piper looked down. Their packs were at their feet, and everything seemed to still be there. She reached into her coat pocket and felt two things she hadn't expected. One was a wad of cash. The other was a glass vial—the amnesia potion. She left the vial in her pocket and brought out the money.

Leo whistled. "Allowance? Piper, your mom rocks!"

"Waitress!" Hedge called. "Six double espressos, and whatever these guys want. Put it on the girl's tab."

It didn't take them long to figure out where they were. The menus said 'Café Verve, Walnut Creek, C.A.' and according to the waitress, it was nine in the morning on the twenty-first of December, the winter solstice, which gave them three hours until Enceladus's deadline.

Riss had calmly gotten up when she had found that out and had proceeded to stomp off and yell a variety of very original Latin curses at the sky. Leo and Piper had asked what they meant but Jason had been too busy wincing as she cursed nearly every god and goddess on Olympus for being an absolute bunch of knuckle-heads, who could not admit they were wrong or terrified and quickly abandoned their family. Of course, Riss swore a lot more during her rant and the term wasn't 'knuckle-heads' like Jason translated. She came back soon enough and the group of the demigods continued to discuss.

They didn't have to wonder where Mount Diablo was, either. They could see it on the horizon, right at the end of the street. After the Rockies, Mount Diablo didn't look very large, nor was it covered in snow. It seemed downright peaceful, its golden creases marbled with gray-green trees. But size was deceptive with mountains, Piper knew. It was probably much bigger up close. And appearances were deceptive too. Here they were—back in California —supposedly her home—with sunny skies, mild weather, laid-back people, and a plate of chocolate chip scones with coffee. And only a few miles away, somewhere on that peaceful mountain, a super-powerful, super-evil giant was about to have her father for lunch.

Leo pulled something out of his pocket—the old crayon drawing Aeolus had given him. Aphrodite must've thought it was important if she'd magically transferred it to his new outfit.

"What is that?" Piper asked.

Leo folded it up gingerly again and put it away. "Nothing. You don't want to see my kindergarten artwork."

Riss shook her head, "Everything Aeolus gave us…it's important and was given to us for a reason."

"It's more than that," Jason guessed. "Aeolus said it was the key to our success."

Leo shook his head. "Not today. He was talking about…later."

"How can you be sure?" Piper asked.

"Trust me," Leo said. "Now—what's our game plan?"

"Okay," Riss said slowly. She trusted Leo, definitely, but this threat? – It was bigger than all of them, than _all_ the half-bloods put together. "We climb the moment and—"

Coach Hedge belched. He'd already had three espressos and a plate of doughnuts, along with two napkins and another flower from the vase on the table. He would've eaten the silverware, except Piper had slapped his hand, added, "—kill everything except Piper's dad. Leave."

"Thank you, General Eisenhower," Jason grumbled and Riss let out a huff, dropping her head onto Jason's shoulder.

"Hey, I'm just saying!"

" _Gleeson_ , please stop 'just saying.'"

"Guys," Piper said. "There's more you need to know."

It was tricky, because Piper couldn't mention her mom, although she thought that Riss might already know they spoke; but she told them she'd figured some things out in her dreams. She told them about their real enemy: _Gaea_.

Riss straightened, " _Hades no_."

"Gaea?" Leo shook his head. "Isn't that Mother Nature? She's supposed to have, like, flowers in her hair and birds singing around her and deer and rabbits doing her laundry."

"Leo, that's Snow White," Piper corrected, frowning.

"Okay, but—"

"Listen, cupcake." Coach Hedge dabbed the espresso out of his goatee. "Piper's telling us some serious stuff, here. Gaea's no softie. I'm not even sure I could take her."

Leo whistled. "Really?"

Hedge nodded. "This earth lady—she and her old man the sky were nasty customers."

"Ouranos," Piper said. She couldn't help looking up at the blue sky, wondering if it had eyes.

"Right," Hedge said. "So Ouranos, he's not the best dad—"

"Understatement of the century," Riss piped in.

"—He throws their first kids, the Cyclopes, into Tartarus. That makes Gaea mad, but she bides her time. Then they have another set of kids—the twelve Titans—and Gaea is afraid they'll get thrown into prison too. So she goes up to her son Kronos—"

"The big bad dude," Leo said. "The one they defeated last summer."

Riss' face fell, "We didn't defeat Kronos; a… _friend_ did."

"Right. And Gaea's the one who gives him the scythe, and tells him, 'Hey, why don't I call your dad down here? And while he's talking to me, distracted, you can cut him to pieces. Then you can take over the world. Wouldn't that be great?'"

Nobody said anything. Piper's chocolate chip scone didn't look so appetizing anymore. Even though she'd heard the story before, she still couldn't quite get her mind around it. She tried to imagine a kid so messed up, he would kill his own dad just for power. Then she imagined a mom so messed up, she would convince her son to do it. Riss kept eating, not at all put off by the conversation, she already knew all about the Olympians and the Titans terrible familial connections.

"Definitely not Snow White," Piper decided and Riss barely concealed her snort of amusement.

"Nah, Kronos was a bad guy," Hedge said. "But Gaea is literally the mother of all bad guys. She's so old and powerful, so huge, that it's hard for her to be fully conscious. Most of the time, she sleeps, and that's the way we like her— _snoring_."

"But she talked to me," Leo said. "How can she be asleep?"

"She spoke to me too," Riss admitted and the others all shot her a look. "All she told me was that I was important and powerful and I'm more connected to Jason than I know. And then the _dirtbag_ insulted me."

Riss shrugged, not having anything else to say. She didn't mention how Gaea offered to get Percy back to her because Riss was standing by her decision to never make a deal. Gleeson brushed crumbs off his canary yellow lapel. He was on his sixth espresso now, and his pupils were as big as quarters. "Even in her sleep, part of her consciousness is active—dreaming, keeping watch, doing little things like causing volcanoes to explode and monsters to rise. Even now, she's not fully awake. Believe me, you don't want to see her fully awake."

"But she's getting more powerful," Piper said. "She's causing the giants to rise. And if their king comes back—this guy Porphyrion—"

"Bloody hate that guy," Riss commented and casually tossed her legs over Jason's. The boy didn't seem to mind and instead smoothed his palm over her boot-covered calf.

"He'll raise an army to destroy the gods," Jason put in. "Starting with Hera. It'll be another war. And Gaea will wake up fully."

Gleeson nodded. "Which is why it's a good idea for us to stay off the ground as much as possible."

Leo looked warily at Mount Diablo. "So…climbing a mountain. That would be bad."

"When's that ever stopped us?" Riss asked, brows raised.

Piper's heart sank. First, she'd been asked to betray her friends. Now they were trying to help her rescue her dad even though they knew they were walking into a trap. The idea of fighting a giant had been scary enough. But the idea that Gaea was behind it—a force more powerful than a god or Titan…

"Guys, I can't ask you to do this," Piper said. "This is too dangerous."

"You kidding?" Gleeson belched and showed them his blue carnation smile. "Who's ready to beat stuff up?"

Riss grinned, "Oh, yeah. Let's do this shit."

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **FIVE REVIEWS FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER, MY LOVELY READERS.**

 **I'm so glad you all are such fans of the story and your reviews always brighten my day!**

 **~ Raven**


	19. TAU

_**TAU | THANK THE GODS THAT THE EARTHBORN HAVE CLAY FOR BRAINS**_

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Heroes of Olympus series or any of the characters. I only own the character Nerissa Jackson and her original plot lines and dialogue.**

* * *

 **THE CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO Agazeamongstthestars, yasminasfeir1, Arianna Le Fay,** ** _NicoleR85_** **,** ** _Spunky89_** **,** ** _colecionodesafetos_** **,** ** _Madhatterpotterhead_** **,** ** _Nessa_** **,** ** _Guest (1), Guest (2)_** **AND** ** _Nyte_** **FOR YOUR REVIEWS!**

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 **IMPORTANT A/N AT THE END. PLEASE READ**

* * *

Leo hoped the taxi could take them all the way to the top. Riss had bet them that it wouldn't and it would stop halfway up.

Leo lost the bet and Riss won two _drachmas_.

The cab made lurching, grinding sounds as it climbed the mountain road, and halfway up they found the ranger's station closed, a chain blocking the way.

"Far as I can go," the cabbie said. "You sure about this? Gonna be a long walk back, and my car's acting funny. I can't wait for you."

"We're sure." Leo was the first one out. He had a bad feeling about what was wrong with the cab, and when he looked down he saw he was right. The wheels were sinking into the road like it was made of quicksand. Not fast—just enough to make the driver think he had a transmission problem or a bad axle—but Leo knew different.

The road was hard-packed dirt. No reason at all it should have been soft, but already Leo's shoes were starting to sink. Gaea was messing with them.

Riss had been sitting on Jason's lap, behind the cabbie as there weren't enough seats and if the cabbie decided to stop or take them elsewhere, Riss was ready. She was also the one with the extensive weapons training (that she could actually _remember_ ) and a small, concealed blade in her jacket. Jason and the cabbie hadn't seemed at all uncomfortable about Riss' slightly-illegal seat. Piper had been but she didn't want to admit it.

While his friends got out, Leo paid the cabbie. He was generous—heck, why not? It was Aphrodite's money. Plus, he had a feeling he might never be coming off this mountain.

"Keep the change," Leo instructed. "And get out of here. Quick."

The driver didn't argue. Soon all they could see was his dust trail. Riss crossed her arms over her chest, unimpressed by the driver's hasty retreat, "Lame." Riss spun around, wide-eyed. "Okay… _not_ so lame."

The view from the mountain was pretty amazing. The whole inland valley around Mount Diablo was a patchwork of towns—grids of tree-lined streets and nice middle-class suburbs, shops, and schools. All these normal people living normal lives—the kind Leo had never known.

"That's Concord," Jason said, pointing to the north. "Walnut Creek below us. To the south, Danville, past those hills. And that way…" He pointed west, where a ridge of golden hills held back a layer of fog, like the rim of a bowl. "That's the Berkeley Hills. The East Bay. Past that, San Francisco."

"Jason?" Piper touched his arm. "You remember something? You've been here?"

Piper retracted her hand the moment Jason looked over to Riss and sighed in disappointment. Riss noticed and she shot Piper a sad look, ashamed of how her relationship with Jason seemed. The McLean girl shook her head, waving it off and Riss opened her mouth to speak, only to be pulled into Jason's chest.

"Yes…no." Jason gave Piper an anguished look, hugging Riss closer. "It just seems important."

"That's Titan land." Coach Hedge nodded toward the west. "Bad place, Jason. Trust me, this is as close to 'Frisco as we want to get."

But Jason looked toward the foggy basin with such longing – a wish to be _home_ that Riss admired. He felt like home here, he wanted to go further – to see what was at the bottom of the mountain, in the basin and to maybe go home. Everybody kept hinting Jason was an enemy, that his arrival at Camp Half-Blood was a dangerous mistake but what was an enemy to who? Was it the gods that did not trust him or was it because Jason and Camp Half-Blood just wasn't compatible?

Leo was thinking along the same lines but a lot more negatively. Was Jason the enemy, evil? _No_ , Leo thought. _Ridiculous. Jason was their friend_.

Leo tried to move his foot, but his heels were now completely embedded in the dirt. "Hey, guys," he said. "Let's keep moving." The others noticed the problem.

"Shit," Riss complained, feeling horribly trapped. "Let's go, quickly."

"Gaea is stronger here," Hedge grumbled. He popped his hooves free from his shoes, then handed the shoes to Leo. "Keep those for me, Valdez. They're nice."

Leo snorted. "Yes, sir, Coach. Would you like them polished?"

"That's varsity thinking, Valdez." Hedge nodded approvingly. "But first, we'd better hike up this mountain while we still can."

"Throw them off the mountain," Riss whispered to Leo and he nodded quickly.

"How do we know where the giant is?" Piper asked.

Jason pointed toward the peak. Drifting across the summit was a plume of smoke. From a distance, Leo had thought it was a cloud, but it wasn't. Something was burning.

"Smoke equals fire," Jason said. "We'd better hurry."

 **XXXXX**

The Wilderness School had taken their students on several forced marches. Leo thought he was in good shape. But climbing a mountain when the earth was trying to swallow his feet was like jogging on a flypaper treadmill.

In no time, Leo had rolled up the sleeves on his collarless shirt, even though the wind was cold and sharp. He wished Aphrodite had given him walking shorts and some more comfortable shoes, but he was grateful for the Ray-Bans that kept the sun out of his eyes. He slipped his hands into his tool belt and started summoning supplies—gears, a tiny wrench, some strips of bronze. As he walked, he built—not really thinking about it, just fiddling with pieces.

By the time they neared the crest of the mountain, Leo was the most fashionably-dressed, sweaty, dirty hero ever. His hands were covered in machine grease.

Leo patted the picture in his pocket—the crayon drawing he'd made at the picnic table under the pecan tree when he was five years old. He remembered Tía Callida singing as he worked, and how upset he'd been when the winds had snatched the picture away. _It isn't time yet, little hero,_ Tía Callida had told him. _Someday, yes. You'll have your quest. You will find your destiny, and your hard journey will finally make sense._

Now Aeolus had returned the picture. Leo knew that meant his destiny was getting close; but the journey was as frustrating as this stupid mountain. Every time Leo thought they'd reached the summit, it turned out to be just another ridge with an even higher one behind it.

Finally Jason crouched behind a wall of rock. He gestured for the others to do the same. Leo crawled up next to him. Piper had to pull Coach Hedge down. Riss was tying up her hair into a quick ponytail and tightening her leather jacket around her waist, extremely grateful that Aphrodite hadn't put any makeup on her.

"I don't want to get my outfit dirty!" Hedge complained.

"Shhh!" Piper said.

" _Get down_!" Riss commanded in a hiss, giving Hedge one of the famous Jackson glares.

Reluctantly, the satyr knelt.

Just over the ridge where they were hiding, in the shadow of the mountain's final crest, was a forested depression about the size of a football field, where the giant Enceladus had set up camp.

Trees had been cut down to make a towering purple bonfire. The outer rim of the clearing was littered with extra logs and construction equipment —an earthmover; a big crane thing with rotating blades at the end like an electric shaver—must be a tree harvester, Leo thought—and a long metal column with an ax blade, like a sideways guillotine—a hydraulic ax.

One word description of the giant was _ugly_.

To start with, he was thirty feet tall—easily as tall as the treetops. He was staring intently at the weird purple bonfire, circling it and chanting under his breath. From the waist up, the giant appeared humanoid, his muscular chest clad in bronze armor, decorated with flame designs. His arms were completely muscular and his skin was bronze but sooty with ash. His face was crudely shaped, like a half-finished clay figure, but his eyes glowed white, and his hair was matted in shaggy dreadlocks down to his shoulders, braided with bones.

From the waist down, he was even more terrifying. His legs were scaly green, with claws instead of feet—like the forelegs of a dragon. In his hand, Enceladus held a spear the size of a flagpole. Every so often he dipped its tip in the fire, turning the metal molten red.

"Okay," Coach Hedge whispered. "Here's the plan—"

Leo elbowed him. "You're not charging him alone!"

"Aw, c'mon."

Piper choked back a sob. "Look."

Just visible on the other side of the bonfire was a man tied to a post. His head slumped like he was unconscious, so the others couldn't make out his face, but Piper didn't seem to have any doubts.

"Dad," she said.

"There's four of us," Hedge whispered urgently. "And only one of him."

"Did you miss the fact that he's thirty feet tall?" Leo asked.

"And that a god needs to help destroy a giant?" Riss demanded. "We can't do it alone!"

"Okay," Hedge said. "So you, me and Jason distract him. Piper sneaks around and frees her dad and Nerissa is her backup."

They all looked at Jason.

"What?" Jason asked. "I'm not the leader."

"Yes," Piper said. "You are."

They'd never really talked about it, but no one disagreed, not even Hedge. Coming this far had been a team effort, but when it came to a life-and death decision, they all knew Jason was the one to ask. Even if he had no memory, Jason had a kind of balance to him. You could just tell he'd been in battles before, and he knew how to keep his cool. Nerissa was the same but she hated taking charge, being a leader had almost destroyed her – Percy was the natural-born leader.

"I hate to say it," Jason sighed, "but Coach Hedge is right. A distraction is Piper's best chance."

Not a good chance, Leo thought. Not even a survivable chance. Just their _best_ chance.

Riss summoned her sword, "Let's do this. I've always had 'kill a giant' on my bucket list."

They couldn't sit there all day and talk about it, though. It had to be close to noon—the giant's deadline—and the ground was still trying to pull them down.

Leo looked at the construction equipment and got a crazy idea. He brought out the little toy he'd made on the climb, and he realized what it could do — _if_ he was lucky, which he almost never was.

"Let's boogie," he said. "Before I come to my senses."

"I love it when Leo loses his mind," Riss quietly cheered.

 **XXXXX**

Jason pulled Riss to the side just before they enacted their plan to fight the giant. He dragged her closer to him and covered her mouth with his, allowing them to just be swept up in the moment. They pulled away and Jason trailed his fingers over her scar.

"We…we have to talk. About what _this_ is."

Riss nodded silently, still dazed and Jason stepped back. He turned slightly only to be gripped by the collar and pulled back towards Riss. They kissed, more passionately, and the two demigods pulled away, panting.

"Don't die."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

 **XXXXX**

The plan went wrong almost immediately. Piper scrambled along the ridge, Riss following behind her, trying to keep their heads down, while Leo, Jason, and Coach Hedge walked straight into the clearing.

Jason summoned his golden lance. He brandished it over his head and yelled, "Giant!" Which sounded pretty good, and a lot more confident than Leo could've managed. He was thinking more along the lines of, "We are pathetic ants! Don't kill us!"

Enceladus stopped chanting at the flames. He turned toward them and grinned, revealing fangs like a saber-toothed tiger's.

"Well," the giant rumbled. "What a nice surprise."

Leo didn't like the sound of that. His hand closed on his windup gadget. He stepped sideways, edging his way toward the bulldozer.

Coach Hedge shouted, "Let the movie star go, you big ugly cupcake! Or I'm gonna plant my hoof right up your—"

"Coach," Jason said. "Shut up."

Enceladus roared with laughter. "I've forgotten how funny satyrs are. When we rule the world, I think I'll keep your kind around. You can entertain me while I eat all the other mortals."

"Is that a compliment?" Hedge frowned at Leo. "I don't think that was a compliment." Enceladus opened his mouth wide, and his teeth began to glow.

"Scatter!" Leo yelled.

Jason and Hedge dove to the left as the giant blew fire—a furnace blast so hot even Festus would've been jealous. Leo dodged behind the bulldozer, wound up his homemade device, and dropped it into the driver's seat. Then he ran to the right, heading for the tree harvester.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jason rise and charge the giant. Coach Hedge ripped off his canary yellow jacket, which was now on fire, and bleated angrily. "I _liked_ that outfit!" Then he raised his club and charged, too.

Before they could get very far, Enceladus slammed his spear against the ground. The entire mountain shook.

The shockwave sent Leo sprawling. He blinked, momentarily stunned. Through a haze of grassfire and bitter smoke, he saw Jason staggering to his feet on the other side of the clearing. Coach Hedge was knocked out cold. He'd fallen forward and hit his head on a log. His furry hindquarters were sticking straight up, with his canary yellow pants around his knees—a view Leo really didn't need.

The giant bellowed, "I see you, Piper McLean! And you, Nerissa Jackson!" He turned and blew fire at a line of bushes to Leo's right. Piper ran into the clearing like a flushed quail, the underbrush burning behind her. Riss swirled a hand and the fire was put out, water rising out of nowhere.

Enceladus laughed. "I'm happy you've arrived. And you brought me my prizes!"

Leo's gut twisted. This was the moment Piper had warned them about. They'd played right into Enceladus' hands.

The giant must've read Leo's expression, because he laughed even louder. "That's right, son of Hephaestus. I didn't expect you all to stay alive this long, but it doesn't matter. By bringing you here, Piper McLean has sealed the deal. If she betrays you, I'm as good as my word. She can take her father and go. What do I care about a movie star?"

Leo could see Piper's dad more clearly now. He wore a ragged dress shirt and torn slacks. His bare feet were caked with mud. He wasn't completely unconscious, because he lifted his head and groaned—yep, Tristan McLean all right. Leo had seen that face in enough movies. But he had a nasty cut down the side of his face, and he looked thin and sickly—not heroic at all.

"Dad!" Piper yelled.

Mr McLean blinked, trying to focus. "Pipes…? Where…"

Piper drew her dagger and faced Enceladus. "Let him go!"

"Of course, dear," the giant rumbled. "Swear your loyalty to me, and we have no problem. Only these others must die." Piper looked back and forth between Leo and her dad.

"He'll kill you," Leo warned. "Don't trust him!"

"Oh, come now," Enceladus bellowed. "You know I was born to fight Athena herself? Mother Gaea made each of us giants with a specific purpose, designed to fight and destroy a particular god. I was Athena's nemesis, the anti-Athena, you might say. Compared to some of my brethren—I am small! But I am clever. And I keep my bargain with you, Piper McLean. It's part of my plan!"

"Don't start, Short-Stack," Riss sneered, shoving Piper behind her. "You gotta get a new hobby. You can't sit around 'til the end of time waiting for _mommy_ to bring you back to life."

"And you, Nerissa Jackson," the giant laughed. "You and your beloved, you will fall to me. The Jackson twins will be destroyed, the gods' favorite will be killed and Mother Gaea will rise!"

The green-eyed girl rolled her eyes – she was sick to death of everyone referring to Jason as her 'beloved' or her 'precious,' he wasn't! She was so done with the whole Gollum-ring-scenario.

Jason was on his feet now, lance ready; but before he could act, Enceladus roared—a call so loud it echoed down the valley and was probably heard all the way to San Francisco.

At the edge the woods, half a dozen ogre-like creatures rose up. Leo realized with nauseating certainty that they hadn't simply been hiding there. They'd risen straight out of the earth.

The ogres shuffled forward. They were small compared to Enceladus, about seven feet tall. Each one of them had six arms—one pair in the regular spot, then an extra pair sprouting out the top of their shoulders, and another set shooting from the sides of their rib cages. They wore only ragged leather loincloths, and even across the clearing, Leo could smell them. Six guys who never bathed, with six armpits each. Leo decided if he survived this day, he'd have to take a three-hour shower just to forget the stench.

Leo stepped toward Piper. "What—what are those?"

Her blade reflected the purple light of the bonfire. "Gegenees."

"In English?" Leo asked.

"The Earthborn," Riss shouted in translation from a few feet away, eyes narrowed in hate at the giant.

"Six-armed giants who fought Jason—the first Jason," Piper explained.

"Very good, my dear!" Enceladus sounded delighted. "They used to live on a miserable place in Greece called Bear Mountain. Mount Diablo is much nicer! They are lesser children of Mother Earth, but they serve their purpose. They're good with construction equipment—"

"Vroom, vroom!" one of the Earthborn bellowed, and the others took up the chant, each moving his six hands as though driving a car, as if it were some kind of weird religious ritual. "Vroom, vroom!"

Riss pursed her lips, "They're also not very smart."

"Yes, thank you, boys," Enceladus said. "They also have a score to settle with heroes. Especially anyone named Jason."

"Yay-son!" the Earthborn screamed. They all picked up clumps of earth, which solidified in their hands, turning to nasty pointed stones. "Where Yay-son? Kill Yay-son!"

Enceladus smiled. "You see, Piper, you have a choice. Save your father, or, ah, try to save your friends and face certain death."

Piper stepped forward. Her eyes blazed with such rage, even the Earthborn backed away. She radiated power and beauty, but it had nothing to do with her clothes or her makeup.

"You will not take the people I love," she said. " _None of them_."

Her words rippled across the clearing with such force, the Earthborn muttered, "Okay. Okay, sorry," and began to retreat.

"Stand your ground, fools!" Enceladus bellowed. He snarled at Piper. "This is why we wanted you alive, my dear. You could have been so useful to us. But as you wish. Earthborn! I will show you Jason."

Leo's heart sank. But the giant didn't point to Jason. He pointed to the other side of the bonfire, where Tristan McLean hung helpless and half conscious.

"There is Jason," Enceladus said with pleasure. "Tear him apart!"

"Oh, Underworld."

 **XXXXX**

Leo's biggest surprise: One look from Jason, and all four of them knew the game plan. When had that happened, that they could read each other so well?

Jason charged Enceladus, while Piper rushed to her father, Nerissa went for the Earthborn and Leo dashed for the tree harvester, which stood between Mr McLean and the Earthborn.

The Earthborn were fast, but Leo ran like a storm spirit. He leaped toward the harvester from five feet away and slammed into the driver's seat. His hands flew across the controls, and the machine responded with unnatural speed—coming to life as if it knew how important this was.

Nerissa swung her blade, the steel and Celestial Bronze tearing through the bodies of the Earthborn who bellowed in pain. A head fell as Riss lopped it off and continued onto the next Earthborn, moving like a dancer to each of the monsters. She slashed and stabbed, leaving piles of clay in her wake.

"Ha!" Leo screamed, and swung the crane arm through the bonfire, toppling burning logs onto the Earthborn and spraying sparks everywhere. Two giants went down under a fiery avalanche and melted back into the earth—hopefully to stay for a while.

The other two ogres stumbled across burning logs and hot coals while Leo brought the harvester around. He smashed a button, and on the end of the crane arm the wicked rotating blades began to whir.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Piper at the stake, cutting her father free. On the other side of the clearing, Jason fought the giant, somehow managing to dodge his massive spear and blasts of fire breath. Coach Hedge was still heroically passed out with his goat tail sticking up in the air.

The whole side of the mountain would soon be ablaze. The fire wouldn't bother Leo, but if his friends got trapped up here—No. He had to act quickly.

One of the Earthborn—apparently not the most intelligent one—charged the tree harvester, and Leo swung the crane arm in his direction. As soon as the blades touched the ogre, he dissolved like wet clay and splattered all over the clearing. Most of him flew into Leo's face. He spit clay out of his mouth and turned the harvester toward the three remaining Earthborn, who backed up quickly.

"Bad vroom-vroom!" one yelled.

"Yeah, that's right!" Leo yelled at them. "You want some bad vroom-vroom? Come on!"

Unfortunately, they did. Three ogres with six arms, each throwing large, hard rocks at super speed—and Leo knew it was over. Somehow, he launched himself in a backward somersault off the harvester half a second before a boulder demolished the driver's seat. Rocks slammed into metal. By the time Leo stumbled to his feet, the harvester looked like a crushed soda can, sinking in the mud.

"Dozer!" Leo yelled.

The ogres were picking up more clumps of earth, but this time they were glaring in Piper's direction. But they never made it.

Thirty feet away, the bulldozer roared to life. Leo's makeshift gadget had done its job, burrowing into the earthmover's controls and giving it a temporary life of its own. It roared toward the enemy.

Just as Piper cut her father free and caught him in her arms, the giants launched their second volley of stones. A blade sliced one of the Earthborn in half, the two halves spattering to the ground. Riss continued to fight, eliminating more than a quarter of the hoard of Earthborn by herself. The dozer swiveled in the mud, skidding to intercept, and most of the rocks slammed into its shovel. The force was so great it pushed the dozer back. Two rocks ricocheted and struck their throwers. Another Earthborn melted into clay. Unfortunately, one rock hit the dozer's engine, sending up a cloud of oily smoke, and the dozer groaned to a stop. Another great toy broken.

Piper dragged her father below the ridge. The last Earthborn charged after her.

Leo was out of tricks, but he couldn't let that monster get to Piper. He ran forward, straight through the flames, and grabbed something —anything—from his tool belt.

"Hey, stupid!" he yelled, and threw a screwdriver at the Earthborn.

It didn't kill the ogre, but it sure got his attention. The screwdriver sank hilt-deep into the Earthborn's forehead like he was made of Play-Doh.

The Earthborn yelped in pain and skittered to a halt. He pulled out the screwdriver, turned and glared at Leo. Sadly, this last ogre looked like the biggest and nastiest of the bunch. Gaea had really gone all out creating him—with extra muscle upgrades, deluxe ugly face, the whole package.

"You die!" the Earthborn roared. "Friend of Yay-son dies!"

The ogre scooped up handfuls of dirt, which immediately hardened into rock cannonballs.

Leo's mind went blank. He reached into his tool belt, but he couldn't think of anything that would help. He was supposed to be clever—but he couldn't craft or build or tinker his way out of this one. He burst into flames, yelled, "Hephaestus!" and charged at the ogre barehanded. He never got there.

A blur of turquoise and black flashed behind the ogre, along with a flash of navy-blue and black. A gleaming bronze blade sliced up one side of the Earthborn and down the other.

Six large arms dropped to the ground, boulders rolling out of their useless hands. The Earthborn looked down, very surprised. He mumbled, "Arms go bye-bye."

And then his torso slid off his waist and his entire body melted into the ground.

Piper stood there, breathing hard, her dagger covered with clay. Riss didn't look all too out of breath and hurried off, probably to help Jason. Piper's dad sat at the ridge, dazed and wounded, but still alive.

Piper's expression was ferocious—almost crazy, like a cornered animal. Leo was glad she was on his side.

"Nobody hurts my friends," she said, and with a sudden warm feeling, Leo realized she was talking about him. Then she yelled, "Come on!" Leo saw that the battle wasn't over. Riss was running towards Jason but it wasn't guaranteed she'd make it. Jason was still fighting the giant Enceladus—and it wasn't going well.

 **XXXXX**

Time seemed to slow down, which was really frustrating, since Jason still couldn't move. He felt himself sinking into the earth like the ground was a waterbed—comfortable, urging him to relax and give up. He wondered if the stories of the Underworld were true. Would he end up in the Fields of Punishment or Elysium? If he couldn't remember any of his deeds, would they still count? He wondered if the judges would take that into consideration, or if his dad, Zeus, would write him a note: "Please excuse Jason from eternal damnation. He has had amnesia."

Jason couldn't feel his arms. He could see the tip of the spear coming toward his chest in slow motion. He knew he should move, but he couldn't seem to do it. Funny, he thought. All that effort to stay alive, and then, _boom_. You just lie there helplessly while a fire-breathing giant impales you. An arrow made its mark in the giant's forehead and Jason's eyes narrowed in on the sea-green-coloured fletching.

Leo's voice yelled, "Heads up!"

A large black metal wedge slammed into Enceladus with a massive _thunk!_ The giant toppled over and slid into the pit.

"Jason, get up!" Piper called. Her voice energized him, shook him out of his stupor. He sat up, his head groggy, while Piper shouted encouragement and Riss grabbed him under his arms, hauling him to his feet.

"Don't die on me," Riss ordered, green eyes flashing. "You are _not_ dying on me. You promised!"

"Yes, ma'am." He felt light-headed, but she was about the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen. Her hair was smoldering. Her face was smudged with soot. She had a cut on her chin, her jacket was missing and her leather pants had been torn to shreds along her thighs. _Beautiful_.

About a hundred feet behind Riss and Piper, Leo was standing over a piece of construction equipment—a long cannon-like thing with a single massive piston, the edge broken clean off.

Then Jason looked down in the crater and saw where the other end of the hydraulic ax had gone. Enceladus was struggling to rise, an ax blade the size of a washing machine stuck in his breastplate.

Amazingly, the giant managed to pull the ax blade free. He yelled in pain and the mountain trembled. Golden ichor soaked the front of his armor but Enceladus stood.

Shakily, he bent down and retrieved his spear.

"Good try." The giant winced. "But I cannot be beaten."

As they watched, the giant's armor mended itself, and the ichor stopped flowing. Even the cuts on his dragon-scale legs, which Jason had worked so hard to make, were now just pale scars.

Leo ran up to them, saw the giant, and cursed. "What _is_ it with this guy? Die, already!"

"My fate is preordained," Enceladus said. "Giants cannot be killed by gods or heroes."

"Only by both," Jason said. The giant's smile faltered, and Jason saw in his eyes something like fear. "It's true, isn't it? Gods and demigods have to work together to kill you."

"You will not live long enough to try!" The giant started stumbling up the crater's slope, slipping on the glassy sides.

"Anyone have a god handy?" Leo asked.

Jason's heart filled with dread. He looked at the giant below them, struggling to get out of the pit, and he knew what had to happen.

"Jason, pray to your father. Piper, use your voice," Riss instructed and she surged forward, her sword, Nauticus, a blur of silver. She slid under the arm that reached for her and spun the sword around her wrist, creating two deep gashes along Enceladus' arm.

"Leo," Jason said, "if you've got a rope in that tool belt, get it ready." He leapt at the giant with no weapon but his bare hands.

"Enceladus!" Piper yelled. "Look behind you!"

It was an obvious trick but her voice was so compelling, even Jason bought it. The giant said, "What?" and turned like there was an enormous spider on his back.

Jason tackled his legs at just the right moment, just as Riss brought her blade down into the giant's chest. The giant lost his balance. Riss dodged out of the way, in time to avoid getting crushed. Enceladus slammed into the crater and slid to the bottom. While he tried to rise, Jason put his arms around the giant's neck. When Enceladus struggled to his feet, Jason was riding his shoulders.

"Get off!" Enceladus screamed. He tried to grab Jason's legs, but Jason scrabbled around, squirming and climbing over the giant's hair.

 _Father,_ Jason thought. _If I've ever done anything good, anything you approved of, help me now. I offer my own life—just save my friends._

Suddenly he could smell the metallic scent of a storm. Darkness swallowed the sun. The giant froze, sensing it too. Jason yelled to his friends, "Hit the deck!" And every hair on his head stood straight up. _Crack!_

Lightning surged through Jason's body, straight through Enceladus, and into the ground. The giant's back stiffened, and Jason was thrown clear. When he regained his bearings, he was slipping down the side of the crater, and the crater was cracking open. The lightning bolt had split the mountain itself. The earth rumbled and tore apart, and Enceladus' legs slid into the chasm. He clawed helplessly at the glassy sides of the pit, and just for a moment managed to hold on to the edge, his hands trembling.

He fixed Jason with a look of hatred. "You've won nothing, boy. My brothers are rising, and they are ten times as strong as I. We will destroy the gods at their roots! You will die, and Olympus will die with—"

"You know something, Enceladus?" Riss interrupted. "Even though she threatened to _smite_ my brother, Athena is ten-times nicer than you. A million times smarter too, because she _doesn't_ underestimate her opponents." Before he could reply, Riss clenched her fists and shoved her hands out towards the giant. The ground began to shake and Enceladus lost his grip and fell into the crevice.

The earth shook and it wasn't Riss this time. _Gaea_ was interfering, yet again. The demigods knew it wasn't Riss because if it had been she would've stopped Jason from falling towards the rift.

"Grab hold!" Leo yelled.

Jason's feet were at the edge of the chasm when he grabbed the rope, and Leo, Riss and Piper pulled him up. They stood together, exhausted and terrified, as the chasm closed like an angry mouth. The ground stopped pulling at their feet. For now, Gaea was gone. The mountainside was on fire. Smoke billowed hundreds of feet into the air. Jason spotted a helicopter—maybe firefighters or reporters—coming toward them.

All around them was carnage. The Earthborn had melted into piles of clay, leaving behind only their rock missiles and some nasty bits of loincloth, but Jason figured they would re-form soon enough. Construction equipment lay in ruins. The ground was scarred and blackened.

Coach Hedge started to move. He sat up with a groan and rubbed his head. His canary yellow pants were now the color of Dijon mustard mixed with mud.

He blinked and looked around him at the battle scene. "Did I do this?" Before Jason could reply, Hedge picked up his club and got shakily to his feet. "Yeah, you wanted some hoof? I gave you some hoof, cupcakes! Who's the goat, huh?" He did a little dance, kicking rocks and making what were probably rude satyr gestures at the piles of clay.

"I'm about to knock him out," Riss commented, putting away her sword.

Leo cracked a smile, and Jason couldn't help it—he started to laugh. It probably sounded a little hysterical, but it was such a relief to be alive, he didn't care.

Then a man stood up across the clearing. Tristan McLean staggered forward. His eyes were hollow, shell-shocked, like someone who'd just walked through a nuclear wasteland.

"He didn't know…" Riss trailed off and Jason and Leo looked at her in confusion. "He didn't know about this, Piper's mother was never 'Aphrodite' to Tristan McLean, she was just a mortal woman he had a daughter with."

"Piper?" he called. His voice cracked. "Pipes, what—what is—"

The McLean man couldn't complete the thought. Piper ran over to him and hugged him tightly, but he almost didn't seem to know her.

Jason had felt a similar way—that morning at the Grand Canyon, when he woke with no memory. But Mr McLean had the opposite problem. He had too _many_ memories, too much trauma his mind just couldn't handle. He was coming apart.

Riss gently wrapped her arm around Mr McLean, having experience with fathers who saw too much (cough—Annabeth's father—cough), "Come on, Mr McLean, everything's okay. Just don't let Piper go." The man nodded, tightening his arms around his daughter and Riss saw tears spring to Piper's eyes. Riss couldn't charmspeak anyone but her voice held so much compassion when she spoke again that both McLean's believed her. " _Everything will be okay._ "

Riss pulled away, stepping back to let the pair have a moment and she nudged some clay with her foot. She hated seeing mortals like this – so vulnerable and helpless because they now knew the truth.

"We need to get him out of here," Jason said, putting his arm around Riss' waist, enjoying the newfound normalcy of the action.

"Yeah, but how?" Leo said. "He's in no shape to walk."

Jason glanced up at the helicopter, which was now circling directly overhead. "Can you make us a bullhorn or something?" he asked Leo. "Piper has some talking to do."

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **Jesus, I just realized how much of a gambler Riss is. Oops**

 **Anyway, IMPORTANT A/N:** **I'm currently enduring something hazardous to my health and I don't know if I'm going to survive.**

 **EXAMS. EXAMS. EXAMS. EXAMS. EXAMS.**

 **Okay, now I'm done being dramatic. So, I probably won't be updating that often for the next two weeks (the duration of my exams) but I've got some news that will hopefully make up for it: IF I GET TEN TO FIFTEEN REVIEWS OVER THE NEXT TWO WEEKS, I WILL POST THREE CHAPTERS OF** ** _ATLANTIC_** **.**

 **AND THEN THERE WILL ONLY BE ONE LEFT AND THEN ATLANTIC IS FINISHED!**

 **Much love!**

 **~ Raven**


	20. UPSILON

_**UPSILON | FOUR UNDERAGED TEENAGE PILOTS IN A HELICOPTER**_

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Heroes of Olympus series or any of the characters. I only own the character Nerissa Jackson and her original plot lines and dialogue.**

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 **THE CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO** ** _Esther77_** **,** ** _DreamHunterVo_** **,** ** _TheBooksAreBetterThanTheMovies_** **,** ** _NicoleR85_** **,** ** _Phoenixfire Produtions_** **,** ** _Guest_** **AND** ** _Nyte_** **FOR YOUR REVIEWS! I KNOW I SAID THAT I WOULDN'T BE UPDATING AS OFTEN BUT YOU WONDERFUL REVIEWERS REVIEWED SO QUICKLY!**

* * *

Borrowing the helicopter was easy…getting her dad on board was not.

Piper needed only a few words through Leo's improvised bullhorn to convince the pilot to land on the mountain. The Park Service copter was big enough for medical evacuations or search and rescue, and when Piper told the very nice ranger pilot lady that it would be a great idea to fly them to the Oakland Airport, she readily agreed.

"No," her dad muttered, as they picked him up off the ground. "Piper, what—there were monsters—there were monsters—"

She needed both Leo's and Jason's help to hold him, while Coach Hedge gathered their supplies and Riss tried to heal them as they walked. Fortunately Hedge had put his pants and shoes back on, so Piper didn't have to explain the goat legs.

It broke Piper's heart to see her dad like this—pushed beyond the breaking point, crying like a little boy. She didn't know what the giant had done to him exactly, how the monsters had shattered his spirit, but she didn't think she could stand to find out.

"It'll be okay, Dad," she said, making her voice as soothing as possible. She didn't want to charmspeak her own father, but it seemed the only way. "These people are my friends. We're going to help you. You're safe now."

He blinked, and looked up at helicopter rotors. "Blades. They had a machine with so many blades. They had six arms…" When they got him to the bay doors, the pilot came over to help.

"What's wrong with him?" she asked.

"Smoke inhalation," Jason suggested. "Or heat exhaustion."

"We should get him to a hospital," the pilot said.

"It's okay," Piper said. "The airport is good."

"Yeah, the airport is good," the pilot agreed immediately. Then she frowned, as if uncertain why she'd changed her mind. "Isn't he Tristan McLean, the movie star?"

"No," Piper said. "He only looks like him. Forget it."

"Yeah," the pilot said. "Only looks like him. I—" She blinked, confused. "I forgot what I was saying. Let's get going."

Jason raised his eyebrows at Piper, obviously impressed but Piper felt miserable. She didn't want to twist people's minds, convince them of things they didn't believe. It felt so bossy, so _wrong_ —like something Drew would do back at camp, or Medea in her evil department store. And how would it help her father? She couldn't convince him he would be okay, or that nothing had happened. His trauma was just too deep.

Finally they got him on board, and the helicopter took off. The pilot kept getting questions over her radio, asking her where she was going, but she ignored them. They veered away from the burning mountain and headed toward the Berkeley Hills.

"Piper." Her dad grasped her hand and held on like he was afraid he'd fall. "It's you? They told me—they told me you would die. They said…horrible things would happen."

"It's me, Dad." It took all her willpower not to cry. She had to be strong for him. "Everything's going to be okay."

"They were monsters," he said. "Real monsters. Earth spirits, right out of Grandpa Tom's stories—and the Earth Mother was angry with me. And the giant, _Tsul'kälû_ , breathing fire—" He focused on Piper again, his eyes like broken glass, reflecting a crazy kind of light. "They said you were a demigod. Your mother was…"

"Aphrodite," Piper said. "Goddess of love."

"I—I—" He took a shaky breath, then seemed to forget how to exhale.

Piper's friends were careful not to watch. Leo fiddled with a lug nut from his tool belt. Jason gazed at the valley below—the roads backing up as mortals stopped their cars and gawked at the burning mountain. Riss sat right beside Jason, holding his hand and trying to ignore how terrified she'd been when her mother had been 'killed' by the Minotaur – this was far too similar. Gleeson chewed on the stub of his carnation, and for once the satyr didn't look in the mood to yell or boast. Jason seemed to sense her mood and leant over to kiss her cheek sweetly, making the daughter of Poseidon smile slightly.

Tristan McLean wasn't supposed to be seen like this. He was a star. He was confident, stylish, and suave — always in control. That was the public image he projected. Piper had seen the image falter before. But this was different. Now it was broken, gone.

"I didn't know about Mom," Piper told him. "Not until you were taken. When we found out where you were, we came right away. My friends helped me. No one will hurt you again."

Her dad couldn't stop shivering. "You're heroes—you and your friends. I can't believe it. You're a _real_ hero, not like me. Not playing a part. I'm so proud of you, Pipes." But the words were muttered listlessly, in a semi-trance. He gazed down on the valley, and his grip on Piper's hand went slack. "Your mother never told me."

"She thought it was for the best." It sounded lame, even to Piper, and no amount of charmspeak could change that. But she didn't tell her dad what Aphrodite had really worried about: _If he has to spend the rest of his life with those memories, knowing that gods and spirits walk the earth, it will shatter him._

Piper felt inside the pocket of her jacket. The vial was still there, warm to her touch.

But how could she erase his memories? Her dad finally knew who she was. He was proud of her, and for once she was his hero, not the other way around. He would never send her away now. They shared a secret.

How could she go back to the way things were?

She held his hand, speaking to him about small things—her time at the Wilderness School, her cabin at Camp Half-Blood. She told him how Coach Hedge ate carnations and got knocked on his butt on Mount Diablo, how Leo had tamed a dragon, how Riss had fought and almost died for them more than once and how Jason had made wolves back down by talking in Latin. Her friends smiled reluctantly as she recounted their adventures. Her dad seemed to relax as she talked, but he didn't smile. Piper wasn't even sure he heard her.

As they passed over the hills into the East Bay, Jason tensed. He leaned so far out the doorway Piper was afraid he'd fall but Riss held onto him, making sure he didn't.

He pointed. "What is that?"

Piper looked down, but she didn't see anything interesting—just hills, woods, houses, little roads snaking through the canyons. A highway cut through a tunnel in the hills, connecting the East Bay with the inland towns.

"Where?" Piper asked.

"That road," he said. "The one that goes through the hills."

Piper picked up the com helmet the pilot had given her and relayed the question over the radio. The answer wasn't very exciting.

"She says it's Highway Twenty-Four," Piper reported. "That's the Caldecott Tunnel. Why?"

Jason stared intently at the tunnel entrance, but he said nothing. Riss even did the same, feeling a pull to the area but she brushed it off. Now was not the time to explore. It disappeared from view as they flew over downtown Oakland, but Jason still stared into the distance, his expression almost as unsettled as Piper's dad's.

"Monsters," Piper's dad said, a tear tracing his cheek. "I live in a world of monsters."

 **XXXXX**

Air traffic control didn't want to let an unscheduled helicopter land at the Oakland Airport—until Piper got on the radio. Then it turned out to be no problem. They unloaded on the tarmac, and everyone looked at Piper.

"What now?" Jason asked her.

She felt uncomfortable. She didn't want to be in charge, but for her dad's sake, she had to appear confident. She had no plan. She'd just remembered that he'd flown into Oakland, which meant his private plane would still be here. But today was the solstice. They had to save Hera. They had no idea where to go or if they were even too late. And how could she leave her dad in this condition?

Riss tilted her head, eyeing her friend, "Pipes, its okay. Go. Get him home."

The boys' faces fell, realising that Piper planned to go home with her father.

"Oh," Leo said. "I mean, absolutely. He needs you right now. We can take it from here."

"Pipes, no." Her dad had been sitting in the helicopter doorway, a blanket around his shoulders. But he stumbled to his feet. "You have a mission. A quest. I can't—"

"I'll take care of him," said Coach Hedge.

Piper stared at him. The satyr was the last person she'd expected to offer. "You?" she asked.

"I'm a protector," Gleeson said. "That's my job, not fighting."

He sounded a little crestfallen, and Piper realized maybe she shouldn't have recounted how he got knocked unconscious in the last battle. In his own way, maybe the satyr was as sensitive as her dad. Then Hedge straightened, and set his jaw. "Of course, I'm good at fighting, too." He glared at them all, daring them to argue.

"Yes," Jason said.

"Terrifying," Leo agreed.

Riss smiled gently, "Goodbye, Gleeson."

The coach grunted. "But I'm a protector, and I can do this. Your dad's right, Piper. You need to carry on with the quest."

"But…" Piper's eyes stung, as if she were back in the forest fire. "Dad…"

He held out his arms, and she hugged him. He felt frail. He was trembling so much, it scared her.

"Let's give them a minute," Jason said, and they took the pilot a few yards down the tarmac.

Riss parted her lips and gazed away. Her eyes had heavy bags beneath them and her fingers seemed frozen, unable to let go of Jason's hand. Not that he wanted her to. Jason kept a careful watch on Piper and her father, blue eyes filled with concern.

"He won't remember this." Jason snapped his gaze to Riss' and she clarified, "She has a potion, an amnesia one that Aphrodite gave her especially for her father. They'll both be okay."

Jason cracked a smile and pulled Riss into a hug, ducking his face to her shoulder. They stayed like that until Leo nudged them, seeing Tristan McLean fall unconscious. Piper caught him and the demigods ran up to help.

"Got him," Hedge said. The satyr stumbled, but he was strong enough to hold Tristan McLean upright. "I already asked our ranger friend to call up his plane. It's on the way now. Home address?"

Piper was about to tell him. Then a thought occurred to her. She checked her dad's pocket, and his BlackBerry was still there. It seemed bizarre that he'd still have something so normal after all he'd been through, but she guessed Enceladus hadn't seen any reason to take it.

"Everything's on here," Piper said. "Address, his chauffeur's number. Just watch out for Jane."

Hedge's eyes lit up, like he sensed a possible fight. "Who's Jane?"

By the time Piper explained, her dad's sleek white Gulf-stream had taxied next to the helicopter.

"Kick Jane's ass," Riss told the satyr as Hedge and the flight attendant got Piper's dad on board. Then Hedge came down one last time to say his good-byes.

Hedge hugged Riss, gave Piper a hug and glared at Jason and Leo. "You cupcakes take care of these girls, you hear? Or I'm gonna make you do push-ups."

"You got it, Coach," Leo said, a smile tugging at his mouth.

"No push-ups," Jason promised.

Piper gave the old satyr one more hug. "Thank you, Gleeson. Take care of him, please."

"I got this, McLean," he assured her. "They got root beer and veggie enchiladas on this flight, and one-hundred-percent linen napkins—yum! I could get used to this."

"Yo, Hedge!" Hedge turned to look at Riss and she went through her pockets before she found something. She tossed a small box to Hedge and he opened it, taking in the sight of 'snacks' for the trip. "Can't go wrong with some paperclips."

"No, you can't," Hedge agreed. Trotting up the stairs, he lost one shoe, and his hoof was visible for just a second. The flight attendant's eyes widened, but she looked away and pretended nothing was wrong. Piper figured she'd probably seen stranger things, working for Tristan McLean.

When the plane was heading down the runaway, Piper started to cry. She'd been holding it in too long and she just couldn't anymore. Before she knew it, Riss was hugging her with one arm (Jason stood awkwardly behind them, still not relinquishing his hold on Riss' hand) and Leo stood uncomfortably nearby, pulling Kleenex out of his tool belt.

"Your dad's in good hands," Jason said. "You did amazing."

"Pipes," Riss cooed and the nickname was all it took for Piper to burst into more tears, sobbing into Riss' shoulder. She allowed herself to be held for six deep breaths. Seven. Then she couldn't indulge herself anymore. They needed her. The helicopter pilot was already looking uncomfortable, like she was starting to wonder why she'd flown them here.

"Thank you, guys," Piper said, pulling away from the hug. "I—"

She wanted to tell them how much they meant to her. They'd sacrificed everything, maybe even their quest, to help her. She couldn't repay them, couldn't even put her gratitude into words. But her friends' expressions told her they understood.

Then, right next to Jason, the air began to shimmer. At first Piper thought it was heat off the tarmac, or maybe gas fumes from the helicopter, but she'd seen something like this before in Medea's fountain. It was an Iris message. An image appeared in the air—a dark-haired girl in silver winter camouflage, holding a bow.

Jason stumbled back in surprise. "Thalia!"

"Thank Iris," Riss muttered, nudging Jason back. "Pinecone, tell me good news."

"Thank the gods," said the Hunter. The scene behind her was hard to make out, but Piper heard yelling, metal clashing on metal, and explosions. "We've found her," Thalia said. "Where are you?"

"Oakland," he said. "Where are you?"

"The Wolf House! Oakland is good; you're not too far. We're holding off the giant's minions, but we can't hold them forever. Get here before sunset, or it's all over."

"Then it's not too late?" Piper cried. Hope surged through her, but Thalia's expression quickly dampened it.

"Not yet," Thalia said. "But Jason—it's worse than I realized. Porphyrion is rising. Hurry."

"But where is the Wolf House?" he pleaded.

"Our last trip," Thalia said, her image starting to flicker. "The park. Jack London. Remember?"

This made no sense to Piper or Riss but Jason looked like he'd been shot. He tottered, his face pale, and the Iris-message disappeared. The Jackson girl shot her arms out, holding Jason still. "Jase, talk to us."

"Bro, you all right?" Leo asked. "You know where she is?"

"Yes," Jason said. "Sonoma Valley. Not far. Not by air."

Piper turned to the ranger pilot, who'd been watching all this with an increasingly puzzled expression. "Ma'am," Piper said with her best smile. "You don't mind helping us one more time, do you?"

"I don't mind," the pilot agreed.

"We can't take a mortal into battle," Jason said. "It's too dangerous." He turned to Leo. "Do you think you could fly this thing?"

"Um…" Leo's expression didn't exactly reassure Piper. But then he put his hand on the side of the helicopter, concentrating hard, as if listening to the machine. "Bell 412HP utility helicopter," Leo said. "Composite four-blade main rotor, cruising speed twenty-two knots, service ceiling twenty-thousand feet. The tank is near full."

"Hades yeah, he can fly it," Riss translated, high-fiving Leo.

Piper smiled at the ranger again. "You don't have a problem with an under-aged unlicensed kid borrowing your copter, do you? We'll return it."

"I—" The pilot nearly choked on the words, but she got them out: "I don't have a problem with that."

Leo grinned. "Hop in, kids. Uncle Leo's gonna take you for a ride."

Riss raised a brow, "Given that my uncle tries to blast me out of the sky when flying, calling yourself 'Uncle Leo' does not reassure me."

 **XXXXX**

"Going okay?" Piper asked from the copilot's seat. She sounded more nervous than he was, so Leo put on a brave face.

"Aces," he said. "So what's the Wolf House?"

"Liar."

Jason knelt between their seats. "An abandoned mansion in the Sonoma Valley. A demigod built it—Jack London."

Leo couldn't place the name. "He an actor?"

"Writer," Piper said. "Adventure stuff, right?"

" _Call of the Wild_? _White Fang_?" Nerissa prompted Leo.

"Yeah," Jason said. "He was a son of Mercury—I mean, Hermes. He was an adventurer, traveled the world. He was even a hobo for a while. Then he made a fortune writing. He bought a big ranch in the country and decided to build this huge mansion—the Wolf House."

"Named that 'cause he wrote about wolves?" Leo guessed.

"Partially," Jason said. "But the site, and the reason he wrote about wolves—he was dropping hints about his personal experience. There're a lot of holes in his life story—how he was born, who his dad was, why he wandered around so much—stuff you can only explain if you know he was a demigod." The bay slipped behind them, and the helicopter continued north. Ahead of them, yellow hills rolled out as far as Leo could see.

"So Jack London went to Camp Half-Blood," Leo guessed.

"No," Jason said. "No, he didn't."

"Bro, you're freaking me out with the mysterious talk. Are you remembering your past or not?"

"Pieces," Jason said. "Only pieces. None of it good. The Wolf House is on sacred ground. It's where London started his journey as a child—where he found out he was a demigod. That's why he returned there. He thought he could live there, claim that land, but it wasn't meant for him. The Wolf House was cursed. It burned in a fire a week before he and his wife were supposed to move in. A few years later, London died, and his ashes were buried on the site."

"So," Piper said, "how do you know all this?"

A shadow crossed Jason's face. Probably just a cloud, but Leo could swear the shape looked like an eagle.

"I started my journey there too," Jason said. "It's a powerful place for demigods, a dangerous place. If Gaea can claim it, use its power to entomb Hera on the solstice and raise Porphyrion—that might be enough to awaken the earth goddess fully."

"Fly fast, darling." Riss pulled her hair up again and flicked it back. "We're in for whole lot of shit when we get there."

Leo kept his hand on the joystick, guiding the chopper at full speed—racing toward the north. He could see some weather ahead—a spot of darkness like a cloudbank or a storm, right where they were going.

Piper's dad had called him a hero earlier. And Leo couldn't believe some of the things he'd done—smacking around Cyclopes, disarming exploding doorbells, battling six-armed ogres with construction equipment. They seemed like they had happened to another person. He was just Leo Valdez, an orphaned kid from Houston. He'd spent his life running away, and part of him still wanted to run. What was he thinking, flying toward a cursed mansion to fight more evil monsters?

His mom's voice echoed in his head: _Nothing is unfixable._

 _Except the fact that you're gone forever,_ Leo thought.

Seeing Piper and her dad back together had really driven that home. Even if Leo survived this quest and saved Hera, Leo wouldn't have any happy reunions. He wouldn't be going back to a loving family. He wouldn't see his mom.

The helicopter shuddered. Metal creaked, and Leo could almost imagine the tapping was Morse code: _Not the end. Not the end._

He leveled out the chopper, and the creaking stopped. He was just hearing things. He couldn't dwell on his mom, or the idea that kept bugging him —that Gaea was bringing souls back from the Underworld—so why couldn't he make some good come out of it? Thinking like that would drive him crazy. He had a job to do.

He let his instincts take over—just like flying the helicopter. If he thought about the quest too much, or what might happen afterward, he'd panic. The trick was not to think—just get through it.

"Thirty minutes out," he told his friends, though he wasn't sure how he knew. "If you want to get some rest, now's a good time."

Riss went to the back of the helicopter and sat down but she was too nervous to sleep. Jason strapped himself into the back of the helicopter, right beside Riss. After pressing a brief kiss to Riss' lips, which she returned, he passed out almost immediately. Piper and Leo stayed wide-awake. Riss zoned out, trying to relax her mind for the battle about to be fought and took to running her fingers lightly through the hair of the blonde beside her.

And then she prayed.

 **XXXXX**

As soon as sleet began to hit the windshield, Jason woke up quickly. He crawled forward, grabbing their seats for balance. "We've got to be getting close." He reached back to help Riss to get beside him and the pair stared out the windshield.

Leo was too busy wrestling with the stick to reply. Suddenly it wasn't so easy to drive the chopper. Its movements turned sluggish and jerky. The whole machine shuddered in the icy wind. The helicopter probably hadn't been prepped for cold-weather flying. The controls refused to respond, and they started to lose altitude.

" _Khione_." Jason's eyes shot to Riss, seeing her eyes glowing and lost quite a bit of confidence.

Below them, the ground was a dark quilt of trees and fog. The ridge of a hill loomed in front of them and Leo yanked the stick, just clearing the treetops.

"There!" Jason shouted.

A small valley opened up before them, with the murky shape of a building in the middle. Leo aimed the helicopter straight for it. All around them were flashes of light that reminded Leo of the tracer fire at Midas's compound. Trees cracked and exploded at the edges of the clearing. Shapes moved through the mist. Combat seemed to be everywhere.

He set down the helicopter in an icy field about fifty yards from the house and killed the engine. He was about to relax when he heard a whistling sound and saw a dark shape hurtling toward them out of the mist.

"Out!" Leo screamed.

They leapt from the helicopter and barely cleared the rotors before a massive _BOOM_ shook the ground, knocking Leo off his feet and splattering ice all over him.

He got up shakily and saw that the world's largest snowball—a chunk of snow, ice, and dirt the size of a garage—had completely flattened the Bell 412.

"Ooh, Ice Princess is gonna get it," Riss snarled too quietly for the others to hear, pushing herself up.

"You all right?" Jason ran up to him, Piper at his side. They both looked fine except for being speckled with snow and mud.

"Yeah." Leo shivered. "Guess we owe that ranger lady a new helicopter."

Piper pointed south. "Fighting's over there." Then she frowned. "No…it's all around us."

She was right. The sounds of combat rang across the valley. The snow and mist made it hard to tell for sure, but there seemed to be a circle of fighting all around the Wolf House.

Behind them loomed Jack London's dream home—a massive ruin of red and gray stones and rough-hewn timber beams. Leo could imagine how it had looked before it burned down—a combination log cabin and castle, like a billionaire lumberjack might build. But in the mist and sleet, the place had a lonely, haunted feel. Leo could totally believe the ruins were cursed.

"Jason!" a girl's voice called.

Thalia appeared from the fog, her parka caked with snow. Her bow was in her hand, and her quiver was almost empty. She ran toward them, but made it only a few steps before a six-armed ogre—one of the Earthborn—burst out of the storm behind her, a raised club in each hand.

"Look out!" Leo yelled. They rushed to help, but Thalia had it under control. She launched herself into a flip, notching an arrow as she pivoted like a gymnast and landed in a kneeling position. The ogre got a silver arrow right between the eyes and melted into a pile of clay.

"Badass," Riss complimented.

Thalia stood and retrieved her arrow, but the point had snapped off. "Thanks. That was my last one." She kicked the pile of clay resentfully. "Stupid ogre."

"Nice shot, though," Leo said.

Thalia ignored him as usual (which no doubt meant she thought he was as cool as ever). She hugged Jason, fist-bumped Riss and nodded to Piper. "Just in time. My Hunters are holding a perimeter around the mansion, but we'll be overrun any minute."

"By Earthborn?" Jason asked.

" _And_ wolves—Lycaon's minions." Thalia blew a fleck of ice off her nose. "Also storm spirits—"

"But we gave them to Aeolus!" Piper protested.

"Who tried to kill us," Leo reminded her. "Maybe he's helping Gaea again."

"I don't know," Thalia said. "But the monsters keep re-forming almost as fast as we can kill them. We took the Wolf House with no problem: surprised the guards and sent them straight to Tartarus. But then this freak snowstorm blew in. Wave after wave of monsters started attacking. Now we're surrounded. I don't know who or what is leading the assault, but I think they planned this. It was a trap to kill anyone who tried to rescue Hera."

"Where is she?" Jason asked.

"Inside," Thalia said. "We tried to free her, but we can't figure out how to break the cage. It's only a few minutes until the sun goes down. Hera thinks that's the moment when Porphyrion will be reborn. Plus, most monsters are stronger at night. If we don't free Hera soon—" She didn't need to finish the thought.

Leo, Jason, Riss and Piper followed her into the ruined mansion.

Jason stepped over the threshold and immediately collapsed.

"Hey!" Leo caught him. "None of that, man. What's wrong?"

"This place …" Jason shook his head. "Sorry…It came rushing back to me."

"So you _have_ been here," Piper said.

"We both have," Thalia said. Her expression was grim, like she was reliving someone's death. "This is where my mom took us when Jason was a child. She left him here, told me he was dead. He just disappeared."

"She gave me to the wolves," Jason murmured. "At Hera's insistence. She gave me to Lupa."

"That part I didn't know." Thalia frowned. "Who is Lupa?"

An explosion shook the building. Just outside, a blue mushroom cloud billowed up, raining snowflakes and ice like a nuclear blast made of cold instead of heat.

"Maybe this isn't the time for questions," Riss suggested, having been silent throughout their brief conversation. "Show us the snow bi—I mean, _goddess_."

Once inside, Jason seemed to get his bearings. The house was built in a giant U, and Jason led them between the two wings to an outside courtyard with an empty reflecting pool. At the bottom of the pool, just as Jason had described from his dream, two spires of rock and root tendrils had cracked through the foundation.

One of the spires was much bigger—a solid dark mass about twenty feet high, and to Leo it looked like a stone body bag. Underneath the mass of fused tendrils he could make out the shape of a head, wide shoulders, a massive chest and arms, like the creature was stuck waist deep in the earth. No, not stuck— _rising_.

On the opposite end of the pool, the other spire was smaller and more loosely woven. Each tendril was as thick as a telephone pole, with so little space between them that Leo doubted he could've gotten his arm through. Still, he could see inside. And in the center of the cage stood Tía Callida.

She looked exactly like Leo remembered: dark hair covered with a shawl, the black dress of a widow, a wrinkled face with glinting, scary eyes. She didn't glow or radiate any sort of power. She looked like a regular mortal woman, his good old psychotic babysitter. Leo dropped into the pool and approached the cage _._ " _Hola, Tía._ Little bit of trouble?"

She crossed her arms and sighed in exasperation. "Don't inspect me like I'm one of your machines, Leo Valdez. Get me out of here!"

Thalia stepped next to him and looked at the cage with distaste—or maybe she was looking at the goddess. "We tried everything we could think of, Leo, but maybe my heart wasn't in it. If it was up to me, I'd just leave her in there."

"Ohh, Thalia Grace," the goddess said. "When I get out of here, you'll be sorry you were ever born."

"Don't make empty threats," Riss rolled her eyes.

Hera turned to Riss, "And Nerissa Jackson, the connection…Maybe I should smite you after all, it would save me a lot of trouble."

"Save it!" Thalia snapped, coming to Riss' defense now. "You've been nothing but a curse to every child of Zeus for ages. You sent a bunch of intestinally challenged cows after my friend Annabeth—"

"She was disrespectful!"

"Your _tribe_ of cows led a monster to Riss' door."

"Clearly a coincidence!"

"You dropped a statue on my legs."

"It was an accident!"

" _And_ you took my brother!" Thalia's voice cracked with emotion. "Here—on this spot. You ruined our lives. We should leave you to Gaea!"

"Hey," Jason intervened. "Thalia—Sis—I know. But this isn't the time. You should help your Hunters."

Thalia clenched her jaw. "Fine. For you, Jason. But if you ask me, she isn't worth it." Thalia turned, leaped out of the pool, and stormed from the building.

Leo turned to Hera with grudging respect. "Intestinally challenged cows? _Tribe_ of cows?"

"Focus on the cage, Leo," she grumbled. "And Jason—you are wiser than your sister. I chose my champion well."

"Screw you, Hera," Riss no longer sounded annoyed, just exhausted. "Jason's _not_ your champion. And neither is Percy, I want him back."

Jason nodded. "I'm only helping you because you stole my memories, most likely had something to do with Riss' brother disappearing and you're better than the alternative. Speaking of which, what's going on with that?" He nodded to the other spire that looked like the king-size granite body bag.

Was Leo imagining it, or had it grown taller since they'd gotten here?

"That, Jason," Hera said, "is the king of the giants being reborn."

"Gross," Piper said.

"Indeed," Hera said. "Porphyrion, the strongest of his kind. Gaea needed a great deal of power to raise him again — _my_ power. For weeks I've grown weaker as my essence was used to grow him a new form."

"So you're like a heat lamp," Leo guessed. "Or fertilizer."

"The goddess glared at him, but Leo didn't care. This old lady had been making his life miserable since he was a baby. He totally had rights to rag on her.

"Has enough cows' shit to fertilize an entire country's crops."

The glare turned to Riss now and she flipped the goddess the bird.

"Joke all you wish," Hera said in a clipped tone. "But at sundown, it will be too late. The giant will awake. He will offer me a choice: marry him, or be consumed by the earth. And I cannot marry him. We will all be destroyed. And as we die, Gaea will awaken."

Leo frowned at the giant's spire. "Can't we blow it up or something?"

"Without me, you do not have the power," Hera said. "You might as well try to destroy a mountain."

"Done that once today," Jason said.

Riss nodded, "That was fun, we can do it again."

"Just hurry up and let me out!" Hera demanded.

Jason scratched his head. "Leo, can you do it?"

"I don't know." Leo tried not to panic. "Besides, if she's a goddess, why hasn't she busted herself out?"

Hera paced furiously around her cage, cursing in Ancient Greek. "Use your brain, Leo Valdez. I _picked_ you because you're intelligent. Once trapped, a god's power is useless. Your own father trapped me once in a golden chair. It was humiliating! I had to beg— _beg_ him for my freedom and apologize for throwing him off Olympus."

"Sounds fair," Leo said.

Hera gave him the godly stink-eye. "I've watched you since you were a child, son of Hephaestus, because I knew you could aid me at this moment. If anyone can find a way to destroy this _abomination_ , it is you."

"But it's not a machine. It's like Gaea thrust her hand out of the ground and …" Leo felt dizzy. The line of their prophecy came back to him: _The forge and dove shall break the cage._ "Hold on. I do have an idea. Piper, I'm going to need your help. And we're going to need time."

" _Right_!" Riss exclaimed, "The prophecy! That means all Jason and I have to do is 'beware the earth.' Simple enough, right?"

The air turned brittle with cold. The temperature dropped so fast, Leo's lips cracked and his breath changed to mist. Frost coated the walls of the Wolf House. _Venti_ rushed in — but instead of winged men, these were shaped like horses, with dark storm-cloud bodies and manes that crackled with lightning. Some had silver arrows sticking out of their flanks. Behind them came red-eyed wolves and the six-armed Earthborn.

Piper drew her dagger. Jason grabbed an ice-covered plank off the pool floor. Riss summoned her sword and, rolling her eyes, took the ice-covered plank and shoved it into Jason's hands. A sword was better than a plank and her bow and arrows appeared in Riss' hands. Leo reached into his tool belt, but he was so shaken up, all he produced was a tin of breath mints. He shoved them back in, hoping nobody had noticed, and drew a hammer instead.

One of the wolves padded forward. It was dragging a human-size statue by the leg. At the edge of the pool, the wolf opened its maw and dropped the statue for them to see—an ice sculpture of a girl, an archer with short spiky hair and a surprised look on her face.

"Thalia!" Jason rushed forward, but Piper and Leo pulled him back. The ground around Thalia's statue was already webbed with ice. Leo feared if Jason touched her, he might freeze too.

"Who did this?" Jason yelled. His body crackled with electricity. "I'll kill you myself!"

From somewhere behind the monsters, Leo heard a girl's laughter, clear and cold. She stepped out of the mist in her snowy white dress, a silver crown atop her long black hair. She regarded them with those deep brown eyes Leo had thought were so beautiful in Quebec.

 _"_ _Bon soir, mes amis,"_ said Khione, the goddess of snow. She gave Leo a frosty smile. "Alas, son of Hephaestus, you say you need time? I'm afraid time is one tool you do not have."

" _Freaking_ _bit—_ "

 **XXXXX**

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 **Riss is so sassy. I love it.**

 **Wednesday is my first exam, so that's when my temporary hiatus will begin.**

 **Please review, follow and favorite!**

 **~ Raven**


	21. PHI

_**PHI | ONE MORE SNOWSTORM AND NERISSA PROMISES TO SCREAM**_

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Heroes of Olympus series or any of the characters. I only own the character Nerissa Jackson and her original plot lines and dialogue.**

* * *

 **THE CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO** ** _DaughterofWar03_** **,** ** _Agazeamongstthestars_** **,** ** _phoenixmoon25572_** **,** ** _NicoleR85_** **,** ** _Madhatterpotterhead_** **,** ** _Guest_** **AND** ** _yasminasfeir1_** **FOR YOUR REVIEWS!**

* * *

After the fight on Mount Diablo, Jason didn't think he could ever feel more afraid or devastated.

Now his sister was frozen at his feet. He was surrounded by monsters. He'd broken his golden sword and replaced it with a piece of wood and then Riss' sword. He had approximately five minutes until the king of the giants busted out and destroyed them. Jason had already pulled his biggest ace, calling down Zeus' lightning when he'd fought Enceladus, and he doubted he'd have the strength or the cooperation from above to do it again. Which meant his only assets were one whiny imprisoned goddess, one sort-of-ex-girlfriend with a dagger, one kickass, potty-mouthed girl that he _really_ liked who could leave him to become a Hunter of Artemis and Leo, who apparently thought he could defeat the armies of darkness with breath mints.

On top of all this, Jason's worst memories were flooding back. He knew for certain he'd done many dangerous things in his life, but he'd never been closer to death than he was right now.

The enemy was beautiful. Khione smiled, her dark eyes glittering, as a dagger of ice grew in her hand. And Riss was cursing her in her head, expanding her knowledge of Latin insults she never remembered learning.

"What've you done?" Jason demanded.

"Oh, so many things," the snow goddess purred. "Your sister's not dead, if that's what you mean. She and her Hunters will make fine toys for our wolves. I thought we'd defrost them one at a time and hunt them down for amusement. Let them be the prey for once."

The wolves snarled appreciatively but they moved back with near-silent whines as Riss turned her sharp eyes – and sharp arrows – on them.

"Yes, my dears." Khione kept her eyes on Jason. "Your sister almost killed their king, you know. Lycaon's off in a cave somewhere, no doubt licking his wounds, but his minions have joined us to take revenge for their master. And soon Porphyrion will arise, and we shall rule the world."

"Traitor!" Hera shouted. "You meddlesome, D-list goddess! You aren't worthy to pour my wine, much less rule the world."

Khione sighed. "Tiresome as ever, Queen Hera. I've been wanting to shut you up for millennia." The ice goddess waved her hand, and ice encased the prison, sealing in the spaces between the earthen tendrils.

"That's better," the snow goddess said. "Now, demigods, about your death—"

"You're the one who tricked Hera into coming here," Jason said. "You gave Zeus the idea of closing Olympus."

The wolves snarled, and the storm spirits whinnied, ready to attack, but Khione held up her hand. "Patience, my loves. If he wants to talk, what matter? The sun is setting, and time is on our side. Of course, Jason Grace. Like snow, my voice is quiet and gentle, and very cold. It's easy for me to whisper to the other gods, especially when I am only confirming their own deepest fears. I also whispered in Aeolus's ear that he should issue an order to kill demigods. It is a small service for Gaea, but I'm sure I will be well rewarded when her sons the giants come to power."

"Oh, I doubt it."

"You could've killed us in Quebec," Jason said. "Why let us live?"

Khione wrinkled her nose. "Messy business, killing you in my father's house, especially when he insists on meeting all visitors. I did try, you remember. It would've been lovely if he'd agreed to turn you to ice. But once he'd given you guarantee of safe passage, I couldn't openly disobey him. My father is an old fool. He lives in fear of Zeus and Aeolus, but he's still powerful. Soon enough, when my new masters have awakened, I will depose Boreas and take the throne of the North Wind, but not just yet. Besides, my father did have a point. Your quest was suicidal. I fully expected you to fail."

"And to help us with that," Leo said, "you knocked our dragon out of the sky over Detroit. Those frozen wires in his head—that was your fault. You're gonna pay for that."

"You're also the one who kept Enceladus informed about us," Piper added. "We've been plagued by snowstorms the whole trip."

"Yes, I feel so close to all of you now!" Khione said.

"I'm never going to see a snowstorm the same way."

"Once you made it past Omaha, I decided to ask Lycaon to track you down so Jason could die here, at the Wolf House." Khione smiled at him. "You see, Jason, your blood spilled on this sacred ground will taint it for generations. Your demigod brethren will be outraged, especially when they find the bodies of these two from Camp Half-Blood. They'll believe the Greeks have conspired with giants. It will be… _delicious_."

"Not the word I'd use."

Riss, Piper and Leo didn't seem to understand what she was saying. But Jason knew. His memories were returning enough for him to realize how dangerously effective Khione's plan could be.

"You'll set demigods against demigods," he said.

"It's so easy!" said Khione. "As I told you, I only encourage what you would do anyway."

"But why?" Piper spread her hands. "Khione, you'll tear the world apart. The giants will destroy everything. You don't want that. Call off your monsters."

Khione hesitated, then laughed. "Your persuasive powers are improving, girl. But I am a goddess. You can't charmspeak me. We wind gods are creatures of chaos! I'll overthrow Aeolus and let the storms run free. If we destroy the mortal world, all the better! They never honored me, even in Greek times. Humans and their talk of global warming. Pah! I'll cool them down quickly enough. When we retake the ancient places, I will cover the Acropolis in snow."

"The ancient places." Leo's eyes widened. "That's what Enceladus meant about destroy the roots of the gods. He meant Greece."

"You could join me, son of Hephaestus," Khione said. "I know you find me beautiful. It would be enough for my plan if these other two were to die.

Reject that ridiculous destiny the Fates have given you. Live and be my champion, instead. Your skills would be quite useful."

Leo looked stunned. He glanced behind him, like Khione might be talking to somebody else. For a second Jason was worried. He figured Leo didn't have beautiful goddesses make him offers like this every day.

Then Leo laughed so hard, he doubled over. "Yeah, join you. Right. Until you get bored of me and turn me into a Leo-sicle? Lady, nobody messes with my dragon and gets away with it. I can't believe I thought you were hot."

Khione's face turned red. "Hot? You dare insult me? I am cold, Leo Valdez. Very, very cold."

"And not very smart," Riss added, her list of retorts finally driving Khione wild.

She shot a blast of wintry sleet at the demigods, but Leo held up his hand. A wall of fire roared to life in front of them, and the snow dissolved in a steamy cloud.

Leo grinned. "See, lady, that's what happens to snow in Texas. It—freaking—melts."

Khione hissed. "Enough of this. Hera is failing. Porphyrion is rising. Kill the demigods. Let them be our king's first meal!"

Jason hefted Riss' sword and the monsters charged.

 **XXXXX**

A wolf launched itself at Jason. He stepped back and swung Riss' sword into the wolf's snout, surprised when it died. He had never noticed that Riss' sword was more than Celestial Bronze, haven gotten the idea from Luke's sword, Backbiter.

Jason turned toward the sound of hooves and saw a storm spirit horse bearing down on him. Jason concentrated and summoned the wind. Just before the spirit could trample him, Jason launched himself into the air, grabbed the horse's smoky neck, and pirouetted onto its back.

The storm spirit reared. It tried to shake Jason, then tried to dissolve into mist to lose him; but somehow Jason stayed on. He willed the horse to remain in solid form, and the horse seemed unable to refuse. Jason could feel it fighting against him. He could sense its raging thoughts—complete chaos straining to break free. It took all Jason's willpower to impose his own wishes and bring the horse under control. He thought about Aeolus, overseeing thousands and thousands of spirits like this, some much worse. No wonder the Master of the Winds had gone a little mad after centuries of that pressure. But Jason had only one spirit to master, and he _had_ to win.

"You're mine now," Jason said.

The horse bucked, but Jason held fast. Its mane flickered as it circled around the empty pool, its hooves causing miniature thunderstorms —tempests—whenever they touched.

"Tempest?" Jason said. "Is that your name?"

The horse spirit shook its mane, evidently pleased to be recognized.

"Fine," Jason said. "Now, let's fight."

He charged into battle, swinging Riss' sword, knocking aside wolves and plunging straight through other _venti_. Tempest was a strong spirit, and every time he plowed through one of his brethren, he discharged so much electricity, the other spirit vaporized into a harmless cloud of mist.

Through the chaos, Jason caught glimpses of his friends. Piper was surrounded by Earthborn, but she seemed to be holding her own. She was so impressive-looking as she fought, almost glowing with beauty, that the Earthborn stared at her in awe, forgetting that they were supposed to kill her. They'd lower their clubs and watch dumbfounded as she smiled and charged them. They'd smile back—until she sliced them apart with her dagger, and they melted into mounds of mud.

Riss was shooting arrows much like a Hunter, flipping and rolling as she fired arrows into ever monster she faced. Her hair whipped out behind her as she twirled out of the way of a club and Jason watched, transfixed by the girl who danced through the snow as she fought. Percy had always been brute strength and Riss had been finesse, which was why they fought so well side-by-side. A wolf landed on top of Riss, snarling before it froze and Riss pushed it off her with a disgusted look. Her slim blade sat between the wolf's ribs and she pulled it from the animal's body and turned, almost all in the same moment, to shoot another Earthborn. As it melted to clay, Riss shot Jason a wink and his face heated up before looking over to Leo.

Leo had taken on Khione herself. While fighting a goddess should've been suicide, Leo was the right man for the job. She kept summoning ice daggers to throw at him, blasts of winter air and tornadoes of snow. Leo burned through all of it. His whole body flickered with red tongues of flame like he'd been doused with gasoline. He advanced on the goddess, using two silver-tipped ball-peen hammers to smash any monsters that got in his way.

Jason realized that Leo was the only reason they were still alive. His fiery aura was heating up the whole courtyard, countering Khione's winter magic. Without him, they would've been frozen like the Hunters long ago. Wherever Leo went, ice melted off the stones. Even Thalia started to defrost a little when Leo stepped near her.

Khione slowly backed away. Her expression went from enraged to shocked to slightly panicked as Leo got closer.

Jason was running out of enemies. Wolves lay in dazed heaps. Some slunk away into the ruins, yelping from their wounds. Piper stabbed the last Earthborn, who toppled to the ground in a pile of sludge. Riss fired arrows after the deserters and hurried over to Leo. Jason rode Tempest through the last _ventus_ , breaking it into vapor. Then he wheeled around and saw Leo bearing down on the goddess of snow.

"You're too late," Khione snarled. "He's awake! And don't think you've won anything here, demigods. Hera's plan will never work. You'll be at each other's throats before you can ever stop us."

Leo set his hammers ablaze and threw them at the goddess, but she turned into snow—a white powdery image of herself. Leo's hammers slammed into the snow woman, breaking it into a steaming mound of mush.

Piper was breathing hard but she smiled up at Jason. "Nice horse."

Tempest reared on his hind legs, arcing electricity across his hooves. A complete show-off. Riss walked over and eyed the horse, "Hello." The horse nickered back and the Jackson girl laughed, "Oh, thank you."

Jason heard a cracking sound behind him before he could ask what Tempest had said. The melting ice on Hera's cage sloughed off in a curtain of slush, and the goddess called, "Oh, don't mind me! Just the queen of the heavens, dying over here!"

Riss shot Jason a pleading look, "Please leave her there."

Jason shook his head with a smile and dismounted, telling Tempest to stay put. The three demigods jumped into the pool and ran to the spire.

Leo frowned. "Uh, Tía Callida, are you getting shorter?"

"No, you dolt! The earth is claiming me. Hurry!"

As much as Jason disliked Hera, what he saw inside the cage alarmed him. Not only was Hera sinking, the ground was rising around her like water in a tank. Liquid rock had already covered her shins.

"The giant wakes!" Hera warned. "You only have seconds!"

"On it," Leo said. "Piper, I need your help. Talk to the cage."

"What?" she said.

"Talk to it. Use everything you've got. Convince Gaea to sleep. Lull her into a daze. Just slow her down, try to get the tendrils to loosen while I—"

"Right!" Piper cleared her throat and said, "Hey, Gaea. Nice night, huh? Boy, I'm tired. How about you? Ready for some sleep?"

The more she talked, the more confident she sounded. Jason felt his own eyes getting heavy, and he had to force himself not to focus on her words. Riss almost shoved Jason over when she nudged him to stay awake. It seemed to have some effect on the cage. The mud was rising more slowly. The tendrils seemed to soften just a little—becoming more like tree root than rock. Leo pulled a circular saw out of his tool belt. How it fit in there, Jason had no idea.

Then Leo looked at the cord and grunted in frustration. "I don't have anywhere to plug it in!"

The spirit horse Tempest jumped into the pit and whinnied.

"Really?" Jason asked.

Tempest dipped his head, Riss translating a 'yes' and the horse trotted over to Leo. Leo looked dubious, but he held up the plug, and a breeze whisked it into the horse's flank. Lighting sparked, connecting with the prongs of the plug, and the circular saw whirred to life.

"Sweet!" Leo grinned. "Your horse comes with AC outlets!"

Their good mood didn't last long. On the other side of the pool, the giant's spire crumbled with a sound like a tree snapping in half. Its outer sheath of tendrils exploded from the top down, raining stone and wood shards as the giant shook himself free and climbed out of the earth.

Jason hadn't thought anything could be scarier than Enceladus. He was wrong.

Porphyrion was even taller, and even more ripped. He didn't radiate heat, or show any signs of breathing fire, but there was something more terrible about him—a kind of strength, even magnetism, as if the giant were so huge and dense he had his own gravitational field.

Like Enceladus, the giant king was humanoid from the waist up, clad in bronze armor, and from the waist down he had scaly dragon's legs; but his skin was the color of lima beans. His hair was green as summer leaves, braided in long locks and decorated with weapons—daggers, axes, and full-size swords, some of them bent and bloody—maybe trophies taken from demigods eons before. When the giant opened his eyes, they were blank white, like polished marble. He took a deep breath.

"Alive!" he bellowed. "Praise to Gaea!"

Jason made a heroic little whimpering sound he hoped his friends couldn't hear. Riss did though and took Jason's hand. He was very sure no demigod could solo this guy. Porphyrion could lift mountains. He could crush Jason with one finger.

"Leo," Jason said.

"Huh?" Leo's mouth was wide open. Even Piper seemed dazed.

"You guys keep working," Jason said. "Get Hera free!"

"What are you going to do?" Piper asked. "You can't seriously—"

"Entertain a giant?" Jason said. "I've got no choice."

Riss shrugged with false bravado, "I'll help."

"No," Jason squeezed Riss' hand, pressing her sword into her other hand and kissed her deeply, his hand curling around the back of her neck. He kissed her with everything he had – pouring all his fear and adoration into the kiss. "I'm not risking _you_."

"Excellent!" the giant roared as Jason approached, leaving Riss behind him, gaping. "An appetizer! Who are you—Hermes? Ares?" Jason thought about going with that idea, but something told him not to.

"I'm Jason Grace," he said. "Son of Jupiter."

Those white eyes bored into him. Behind him, Leo's circular saw whirred, and Piper talked to the cage in soothing tones, trying to keep the fear out of her voice. Riss was throwing ice daggers at any monster nearing them.

Porphyrion threw back his head and laughed. "Outstanding!" He looked up at the cloudy night sky. "So, Zeus, you sacrifice a son to me? The gesture is appreciated, but it will not save you."

The sky didn't even rumble. No help from above. Jason was on his own. He had to buy Leo and Piper some time, and he couldn't do that without a proper weapon. It was time to act a whole lot more confident than he felt.

"If you knew who I was," Jason yelled up at the giant, "you'd be worried about me, not my father. I hope you enjoyed your two and a half minutes of rebirth, giant, because I'm going to send you right back to Tartarus."

The giant's eyes narrowed. He planted one foot outside the pool and crouched to get a better look at his opponent. "So … we'll start by boasting, will we? Just like old times! Very well, demigod. I am Porphyrion, king of the giants, son of Gaea. In olden times, I rose from Tartarus, the abyss of my father, to challenge the gods. To start the war, I stole Zeus's queen." He grinned at the goddess's cage. "Hello, Hera."

"My husband destroyed you once, monster!" Hera said. "He'll do it again!"

"But he didn't, my dear! Zeus wasn't powerful enough to kill me. He had to rely on a puny demigod to help, and even then, we almost won. This time, we will complete what we started. Gaea is waking. She has provisioned us with many fine servants. Our armies will shake the earth—and we will destroy you at the roots."

"You wouldn't dare," Hera said, but she was weakening. Jason could hear it in her voice. Piper kept whispering to the cage, Leo kept sawing and Riss had joined in by getting rid of the ice around the cage but the earth was still rising inside Hera's prison, covering her up to her waist.

"Oh, yes," the giant said. "The Titans sought to attack your new home in New York. Bold, but ineffective. Gaea is wiser and more patient. And we, her greatest children, are much, much stronger than Kronos. We know how to kill you Olympians once and for all. You must be dug up completely like rotten trees—your eldest roots torn out and burned."

The giant frowned at Riss, Piper and Leo, as if he'd just noticed them working at the cage. Jason stepped forward and yelled to get back Porphyrion's attention.

"You said a demigod killed you," he shouted. "How, if we're so puny?"

"Ha! You think I would explain it to you? I was created to be Zeus's replacement, born to destroy the lord of the sky. I shall take his throne. I shall take his wife—or, if she will not have me, I will let the earth consume her life force. What you see before you, child, is only my weakened form. I will grow stronger by the hour, until I am invincible. But I am already quite capable of smashing you to a grease spot!"

He rose to his full height and held out his hand. A twenty-foot spear shot from the earth. He grasped it, then stomped the ground with his dragon's feet. The ruins shook. All around the courtyard, monsters started to re-gather—storm spirits, wolves, and Earthborn, all answering the giant king's call.

"Great," Leo muttered. "We needed more enemies."

"Hurry," Hera said.

"I know!" Leo snapped.

"Go to sleep, cage," Piper said. "Nice, sleepy cage. Yes, I'm talking to a bunch of earthen tendrils. This isn't weird at all."

Porphyrion raked his spear across the top of the ruins, destroying a chimney and spraying wood and stone across the courtyard. "So, child of Zeus! I have finished my boasting. Now it's your turn. What were you saying about destroying me?"

Jason looked at the ring of monsters, waiting impatiently for their master's order to tear them to shreds. Leo's circular saw kept whirring, and Piper kept talking, but it seemed hopeless. Hera's cage was almost completely filled with earth.

"I'm the son of Jupiter!" he shouted, and just for effect, he summoned the winds, rising a few feet off the ground. "I'm a child of Rome, consul to demigods, praetor of the First Legion." Jason didn't know quite what he was saying, but he rattled off the words like he'd said them many times before. He held out his arms, showing the tattoo of the eagle and SPQR, and to his surprise the giant seemed to recognize it. For a moment, Porphyrion actually looked uneasy. "I slew the Trojan sea monster," Jason continued. "I toppled the black throne of Kronos, and destroyed the Titan Krios with my own hands. And now I'm going to destroy you, Porphyrion, and feed you to your own wolves."

Riss bit her lip and murmured the one thing that sprung to her hormonal, teenage-girl mind, "Gods, he's _hot_."

"Wow, dude," Leo muttered. "You been eating red meat?"

Jason launched himself at the giant, determined to tear him apart. The idea of fighting a forty-foot-tall immortal bare handed was so ridiculous, even the giant seemed surprised. Half flying, half leaping, Jason landed on the giant's scaly reptilian knee and climbed up the giant's arm before Porphyrion even realized what had happened.

"You dare?" the giant bellowed.

Jason reached his shoulders and ripped a sword out of the giant's weapon-filled braids. He yelled, "For Rome!" and drove the sword into the nearest convenient target—the giant's massive ear.

Lightning streaked out of the sky and blasted the sword, throwing Jason free. He rolled when he hit the ground. When he looked up, the giant was staggering. His hair was on fire, and the side of his face was blackened from lightning. The sword had splintered in his ear. Golden ichor ran down his jaw. The other weapons were sparking and smoldering in his braids.

Porphyrion almost fell. The circle of monsters let out a collective growl and moved forward—wolves and ogres fixing their eyes on Jason.

"No!" Porphyrion yelled. He regained his balance and glared at the demigod. "I will kill him myself."

The giant raised his spear and it began to glow. "You want to play with lightning, boy? You forget. I am the bane of Zeus. I was created to destroy your father, which means I know exactly what will kill _you_."

Something in Porphyrion's voice told Jason he wasn't bluffing.

Jason and his friends had had a good run. The three of them had done amazing things. Yeah, even _heroic_ things. But as the giant raised his spear, Jason knew there was no way he could deflect this strike.

This was the end.

"Got it!" Leo yelled.

"Sleep!" Piper said, so forcefully, the nearest wolves fell to the ground and began snoring.

The stone and wood cage crumbled. Leo had sawed through the base of the thickest tendril and apparently cut off the cage's connection to Gaea. The tendrils turned to dust. The mud around Hera disintegrated. The goddess grew in size, glowing with power.

"Yes!" the goddess said. She threw off her black robes to reveal a white gown, her arms bedecked with golden jewelry. Her face was both terrible and beautiful, and a golden crown glowed in her long black hair. "Now I shall have my revenge!"

The giant Porphyrion backed away. He said nothing, but he gave Jason one last look of hatred. His message was clear: _Another time._ Then he slammed his spear against the earth, and the giant disappeared into the ground like he'd dropped down a chute.

Around the courtyard, monsters began to panic and retreat, but there was no escape for them. Hera glowed brighter.

The queen of the gods shouted, "Cover your eyes, my heroes!"

But Jason was too much in shock. He understood too late. So, Riss did the one thing that she had aimed to do on the quest – she saved one of the three heroes of the quest. Four was too many on the quest, one would die; Riss knew that, better than most.

And like the stupid demigod hero she was, Riss sacrificed herself.

The Jackson girl shoved herself in front of Jason, not having the time to turn around. Jason's eyes were level with Riss' hair, not seeing the goddess' true form but Nerissa took the full force of Hera's power.

Hera turned into a supernova, exploding in a ring of force that vaporized every monster instantly. Riss fell backward, into Jason's arms. Light was searing into her mind, and Nerissa Jackson's last thought was that her body was burning.

 **XXXXX**

The Moirai spread out the thread, pulling the fine gold to it's longest length. Atropos raised her shears.

Their shrouded mother watched carefully, a terrible sense of glee filling her. The shears snapped shut; Nerissa's life thread ended with the cut but maintained it's golden hue.

The shrouded woman, Ananke, froze. Her mouth dropped open and she spun to her daughters, "What did you do? It is her fate!"

The Moirai stayed silent, hoping not to incur their mother's wrath, even as she glowered and swirled from the room. Atropos couldn't help but let a minuscule smile tug at her lips.

 **XXXXX**

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 **I thought I'd update 'cause I'm as bored as eff.**

 **Riss just died. I can't believe it. She's just so selfless it's terrible but that will change a bit in the next story (spoilers) but at the end, what did Ananke (congrats to whoever guessed who the woman was!) mean? 'It is her fate?' And Atropos, you sneaky little fate, conived with Aphrodite to try to save Riss' life. Will it work? Dun, dun, dun!**

 **Thanks to everyone who reviewed, the reviews always make me smile.**

 **FIVE REVIEWS FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER PLEASE!**

 **~ Raven**


	22. CHI

_**CHI | NERISSA'S NEAR-DEATH EXPERIENCES COUNT INCREASES AGAIN**_

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Heroes of Olympus series or any of the characters. I only own the character Nerissa Jackson and her original plot lines and dialogue.**

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 **WAIT, WHAT!? ANOTHER CHAPTER SO SOON!? DID YOU REALLY THINK I COULD JUST LEAVE IT WITH 'AND RISS DIED. THE END'? THE CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO _Nessa_** **, _Guest (1), Guest (2)_** **,** ** _Broder4545_ , ****_NicoleR85_** **, _Nyte_** **AND** ** _yasminasfeir1_** **FOR REVIEWING!**

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"Riss!"

Piper and Jason kept calling her name as he held her, though Piper had almost lost hope. She'd been unconscious for two minutes now. Her body was steaming, her eyes rolled back in her head. Piper couldn't tell if Riss was even breathing. Jason was peppering her face with kisses, begging for her to wake up. His voice cracked a bit as he cradled her to his chest, rocking her.

"It's no use, child." Hera stood over them in her simple black robes and shawl.

Piper hadn't seen the goddess go nuclear. Thankfully she'd closed her eyes, but she could see the aftereffects. Every vestige of winter was gone from the valley. No signs of battle, either. The monsters had been vaporized. The ruins had been restored to what they were before—still ruins, but with no evidence that they'd been overrun by a horde of wolves, storm spirits, and six-armed ogres.

Even the Hunters had been revived. Most waited at a respectful distance in the meadow but Thalia knelt by Jason's side, her hand on Riss' forehead.

Thalia glared up at the goddess. "This is your fault. Do something!"

"Do not address me that way, girl. I am the queen—"

"Fix her!"

Hera's eyes flickered with power. "I did warn them. I would never intentionally hurt the girl. She was to be my connection – the link between it _all_. She is no mere demigod but even she cannot survive viewing me as a whole. I told them to close their eyes before I revealed my true form."

Jason tried not to sob, "She got in front of me because I didn't close my eyes."

"Um…" Leo frowned. "True form is bad, right? So why did you do it?"

"I unleashed my power to help you, fool!" Hera cried. "I became pure energy so I could disintegrate the monsters, restore this place, and even save these miserable Hunters from the ice."

"But mortals can't look upon you in that form!" Thalia shouted. "You've killed her!"

Leo shook his head in dismay. "That's what our prophecy meant. Death unleash, through Hera's rage. Come on, lady. You're a goddess. Do some voodoo magic on her! Bring her back."

Piper half heard their conversation, but mostly she was focused on Riss' face. "She's breathing!" she announced.

"Impossible," Hera said. "I wish it were true, child, but no mortal has ever—"

" _Nerissa_ ," Piper called, putting every bit of her willpower into her name. She could not lose her – _Jason_ couldn't lose Riss. "Listen to me. You can do this. Come back. You're going to be fine."

Nothing happened. Had she imagined her breath stirring?

"Healing is not a power of Aphrodite," Hera said regretfully. "Even I cannot fix this, girl. Her mortal spirit—"

"Nerissa," Piper said again, and she imagined her voice resonating through the earth, all the way down to the Underworld. " _Wake up_."

Riss gasped, and her eyes flew open. For a moment they were full of light—glowing pure gold. The thread within her ring glowed, safe out of sight and it sent Riss into a fit of gasps. Then the light faded and Riss' eyes were normal again. "What—what happened?"

"Impossible!" Hera said.

Jason wrapped Riss in a hug, holding onto her and rocking her until she finally groaned, "…crushing me."

"Sorry," Jason said, so relieved and kissed her, not caring about their audience. Their lips locked together, hands cradling each other lovingly. Piper laughed, wiping a tear from her eye. Thalia's mouth dropped open as she saw her close friend and brother locked in a tender embrace.

Thalia coughed awkwardly as they pulled apart and reached out to grip onto her friend's hand. "How do you feel?"

"Hot," Riss muttered. "Mouth is dry. And I saw something…really terrible."

"That was Hera," Thalia grumbled. "Her Majesty, the Loose Cannon."

"Ew," Riss grumbled. "Never wanna see that again."

"That's it, Thalia Grace," said the goddess. "I will turn you into an aardvark, so help me—"

"Stop it, you two," Piper said. Amazingly, they both shut up but ice still sloshed up to smack both women in the face.

"Sorry," Riss apologized, though she didn't sound too upset. "I was trying to bring it to me to get a little bit cooler. Oops."

Jason helped Riss to her feet and gave her the last nectar from their supplies. He held her as if she was glass and they stared at each other like the other was the center of the universe.

"Now…" Piper faced Thalia and Hera. "Hera—Your Majesty—we couldn't have rescued you without the Hunters. And Thalia, you never would've seen Jason again—none of us would've have met him—if it weren't for Hera. You two make nice, because we've got bigger problems."

They both glared at her, and for three long seconds, Piper wasn't sure which one of them was going to kill her first.

Finally Thalia grunted. "You've got spirit, Piper." She pulled a silver card from her parka and tucked it into the pocket of Piper's snowboarding jacket.

"You ever want to be a Hunter, call me. We could use you."

Hera crossed her arms. "Fortunately for this Hunter, you have a point, daughter of Aphrodite." She assessed Piper, as if seeing her clearly for the time. "You wondered, Piper, why I chose you for this quest, why I didn't reveal your secret in the beginning, even when I knew Enceladus was using you. I must admit, until this moment I was not sure. Something told me you would be vital to the quest. Now I see I was right. You're even stronger than I realized. And you are correct about the dangers to come. We must work together."

Piper's face felt warm. She wasn't sure how to respond to Hera's compliment, but Leo and Riss stepped in.

Well, Riss helped by sarcastically saying, " _Oh, joy_."

"Yeah," Leo said, "I don't suppose that Porphyrion guy just melted and died, huh?"

"No," Hera agreed. "By saving me, and saving this place, you prevented Gaea from waking. You have bought us some time. But Porphyrion has risen. He simply knew better than to stay here, especially since he has not yet regained his full power. Giants can only be killed by a combination of god and demigod, working together. Once you freed me—"

"He ran away," Jason said. "But to where?"

Hera didn't answer, but a sense of dread washed over Piper. She remembered what Porphyrion had said about killing the Olympians by pulling up their roots. Greece. She looked at Thalia's grim expression, and guessed the Hunter had come to the same conclusion.

"I need to find Annabeth," Thalia said. "She has to know what's happened here."

"Excuse me," Riss joked weakly. "She loves me more."

Thalia chuckled, tugging Riss out of Jason's embrace and hugged onto her tight, glad that her friend wasn't actually dead. "I'm so glad you're still breathing."

"Thalia…" Jason gripped Riss' hand, pulling her back into his arms. "We never got to talk about this place, or—"

"I know." Her expression softened. "I lost you here once. I don't want to leave you again. But we'll meet soon. I'll rendezvous with you back at Camp Half-Blood." She glanced at Hera. "You'll see them there safely? It's the least you can do."

"It's not your place to tell me—"

"Queen Hera," Piper interceded.

"You just killed me," Riss reminded the goddess.

The goddess sighed. "Fine. Yes. Just off with you, Hunter!"

Thalia gave Jason a hug and said her good-byes. When the Hunters were gone, the courtyard seemed strangely quiet. The dry reflecting pool showed no sign of the earthen tendrils that had brought back the giant king or imprisoned Hera. The night sky was clear and starry. The wind rustled in the redwoods. Piper thought about that night in Oklahoma when she and her dad had slept in Grandpa Tom's front yard. She thought about the night on the Wilderness School dorm roof, when Jason had kissed her—in her Mist-altered memories, anyway.

And then Piper thought of when Jason had _actually_ kissed Riss – _multiple times_ – and she realised, her memories – real or fake – had nothing on the connection the pair shared. And Piper doubted she'd ever have a relationship with Jason like the one he had with Riss.

"Jason, what happened to you here?" she asked. "I mean—I know your mom abandoned you here. But you said it was sacred ground for demigods. Why? What happened after you were on your own?"

Jason shook his head uneasily. "It's still murky. The wolves…"

"You were given a destiny," Hera said. "You were given into my service."

Jason scowled. "Because you forced my mom to do that. You couldn't stand knowing Zeus had two children with my mom. Knowing that he'd fallen for her twice. I was the price you demanded for leaving the rest of my family alone. "

"It was the right choice for you as well, Jason," Hera insisted. "The second time your mother managed to snare Zeus's affections, it was because she imagined him in a different aspect—the aspect of Jupiter. Never before had this happened—two children, Greek and Roman, born into the same family. You had to be separated from Thalia. This is where all demigods of your kind start their journey."

"Of his kind?" Piper asked.

"She means Roman," Jason said. "Demigods are left here. We meet the she-wolf goddess, Lupa, the same immortal wolf that raised Romulus and Remus."

"I would _love_ to meet her."

Hera nodded. "And if you are strong enough, you live."

"But …" Leo looked mystified. "What happened after that? I mean, Jason never made it to camp."

"Not to Camp Half-Blood, no," Hera agreed.

Piper felt as if the sky were spiraling above her, making her dizzy. "You went somewhere else. That's where you've been all these years. Somewhere else for demigods—but where?"

Jason turned to the goddess. "The memories are coming back, but not the location. You're not going to tell me, are you?"

"No," Hera said. "That is part of your destiny, Jason. You must find your own way back. But when you do … you will unite two great powers. You will give us hope against the giants, and more importantly—against Gaea herself."

"You want us to help you," Jason said, "but you're holding back information."

"Giving you answers would make those answers invalid," Hera said. "That is the way of the Fates. You must forge your own path for it to mean anything. Already, you three have surprised me. I would not have thought it possible…"

The goddess shook her head. "Suffice to say, you have performed well, demigods. But this is only the beginning. Now you must return to Camp Half-

Blood, where you will begin planning for the next phase."

"Which you won't tell us about," Jason grumped. "And I suppose you destroyed my nice storm spirit horse, so we'll have to walk home?"

Hera waved aside the question. "Storm spirits are creatures of chaos. I did not destroy that one, though I have no idea where he went, or whether you'll see him again. But there is an easier way home for you. As you have done me a great service, so I can help you—at least this once. Farewell, demigods, for now."

The world turned upside down, and Piper almost blacked out.

When she could see straight again, she was back at camp, in the dining pavilion, in the middle of dinner. They were standing on the Aphrodite cabin's table, and Piper had one foot in Drew's pizza. Sixty campers rose at once, gawking at them in astonishment.

Whatever Hera had done to shoot them across the country, it wasn't good for Piper's stomach. She could barely control her nausea. Leo wasn't so lucky. He jumped off the table, ran to the nearest bronze brazier, and threw up in it—which was probably not a great burnt offering for the gods.

"Jason?" Chiron trotted forward. No doubt the old centaur had seen thousands of years' worth of weird stuff, but even he looked totally flabbergasted. Jason stood on a table, Riss was held bridal-style in his arms, head slightly lolled against his shoulder.

"What—How—?"

The Aphrodite campers stared up at Piper with their mouths open. Piper figured she must look awful.

"Hi," she said, as casually as she could. "We're back."

That was all it took for Riss to crack up laughing, absolutely _done_ with the entire quest. And the extremely nice, near-death experience.

 **XXXXX**

They told their story and answered a million questions from the other campers, but finally Chiron saw how tired they were and ordered them to bed. Riss was still in Jason's arms all throughout the night, only moving to hug Annabeth, Will, Clarisse and some of the other campers she was close to.

Jason had even carried Riss to her bed in the empty Poseidon Cabin and despite wanting to just collapse beside Riss and sleep, had dragged himself into his equally-as-lonely Zeus Cabin.

The next day saw Piper in the Big House, speaking to her father and after she was finished speaking she found Riss and Jason, relaxing on a bench in the commons area, a basketball between his feet. He was sweaty from working out, but he looked great in his orange tank top and shorts. His various scars and bruises from the quest were healing, thanks to some medical attention from the Apollo cabin. His arms and legs were well muscled and tan—distracting as always. His close-cropped blond hair caught the afternoon light so it looked like it was turning to gold, Midas style.

Riss was draped out across Jason's legs, his hand gently stroking her hair. Piper let a wide smile cross her face – despite her feelings for Jason, she was _so_ glad that she had told the Aphrodite Cabin that morning about Riss and Jason.

" _Don't even look at Jason Grace. He may not know it yet, but he's_ Nerissa Jackson's _. If you even try to make a move, I will load you into a catapult and shoot you across Long Island Sound_."

"Hey," Jason said, seeing her walk over to them. "How did it go?"

Riss was up in a second, moving and tapping the free spot beside her for Piper to sit. "Hmm? Oh, yeah. Fine."

She sat next to Riss and they watched the campers going back and forth. A couple of Demeter girls were playing tricks on two of the Apollo guys —making grass grow around their ankles as they shot baskets. Over at the camp store, the Hermes kids were putting up a sign that read: flying shoes, slightly used, fifty-percent-off today! Ares kids were lining their cabin with fresh barbed wire. The Hypnos cabin was snoring away. A normal day at camp.

Meanwhile, the Aphrodite kids were watching Piper with Riss and Jason, and trying to pretend they weren't. Piper was pretty sure she saw money change hands, like they were placing bets on a kiss.

"Get any sleep?" she asked him.

He looked at her as if she'd been reading his thoughts. "Not much. Dreams."

"About your past?" He nodded. Piper didn't push him. If he wanted to talk, that was fine, but she knew him better than to press the subject.

"Jason," Riss prompted Jason to look at her. "Good news or bad?"

Jason spun his basketball. "It's not good news," he warned. "My memories aren't good for—for any of us."

Riss rested her head on Jason's shoulder, "It's okay. We'll get through this, as a team."

Piper was pretty sure he'd been about to say _for us_ , as in just himself and Riss, the two of them – judging by how he was looking at Riss like she was the sun – and Piper wondered if he'd remembered a girl from his past. But she didn't let it bother her, finding herself far too invested in her friend and kind-of-ex-boyfriend's love life. Not on a sunny winter day like this, with Riss and Jason next to her.

"We'll figure it out," she promised.

Jason looked at her hesitantly, like he wanted very much to believe her. "Annabeth and Rachel are coming in for the meeting tonight. I should probably wait until then to explain…"

"Okay."

Riss nodded, agreeing with Piper, and turned to tuck herself into Jason's side. Her hand pressed against his chest, feeling his heart beating quickly beneath her palm from his recent basketball game. She knew there were dangerous things in store for all of them. Riss didn't see it as having to compete with Jason's past but the fear that they might not even survive their war against the giants. But right now, they were both alive, and she was determined to enjoy this moment. Even if a tiny, _tiny_ part of her felt like Piper was severely third-wheeling.

Jason studied Riss warily. His forearm tattoo was faint blue in the sunlight and in her usual nervous manner, which Jason had begun to notice, ran her fingertips along the tattoo. Piper bit her lip and smiled secretly at Riss, without the pair noticing. The McLean girl walked away a few paces, taking out the Hunters of Artemis card and examining it.

"You're in a good mood," Jason finally decided to say to Riss after a few moments of comfortable silence. "How can you be so sure things will work out?"

"Because you're going to lead us," she said simply, nails gently scraping against Jason's arm and he shivered. "I'd follow you anywhere."

Jason smiled. "Dangerous thing to say."

"I'm a dangerous girl," Riss teased with a wink.

"That, I believe," the blonde agreed, bringing his and Riss' joined hands to his lips, placing a light kiss there.

Riss giggled – an uncharacteristic sound – and Jason's heart melted a little in his chest. He got up, brushing off his short before offering her a hand. "Leo says he's got something to show us out in the woods. You coming?"

"Wouldn't miss it." Riss took his hand and stood up. "We should go meet up with Pipes."

The pair walked over to Piper, still holding hands and Jason grinned at Piper, "We should go."

"Yep," Piper stared at the pair for a moment. She wanted something like what they had, despite Riss and Jason not even knowing _what_ they had. Not yet. "Just a sec."

The daughter of Aphrodite twisted something and Riss recognised it as the card – the silver calling card that Thalia had given her for the Hunters of Artemis. Piper dropped it into a nearby eternal fire and watched it burn. There would be no breaking hearts in Aphrodite cabin from now on. That was one rite of passage they didn't need.

Across the green, Piper's cabin-mates looking disappointed that they hadn't witnessed a kiss – either between Piper and Jason or Riss and Jason. They started cashing in their bets.

"Let's go," she told Jason and Riss. "We've got adventures to plan."

Riss smirked and threw her arm around Piper's shoulders, the fingers of her other hand still laced with Jason's. "We are _so_ gonna kick some Roman ass." She glanced at Jason, who was chuckling, "No offense, Jase."

 **XXXXX**

"Welcome to Bunker Nine," Leo said, as confidently as he could, showing the group of demigods and Chiron the bunker. "C'mon in."

The group was silent as they toured the facility. Everything was just as Leo had left it—giant machines, worktables, old maps and schematics. Only one thing had changed. Festus's head was sitting on the central table, still battered and scorched from his final crash in Omaha.

Leo went over to it, a bitter taste in his mouth, and stroked the dragon's forehead. "I'm sorry, Festus. But I won't forget you."

Jason put a hand on Leo's shoulder. "Hephaestus brought it here for you?"

Leo nodded.

"But you can't repair him," Jason guessed.

"No way," Leo said. "But the head is going to be reused. Festus will be going with us."

Piper came over and frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Really!?" Riss asked, jumping up and down slightly. She adored Festus, despite the bronze dragon not even able to speak.

Before Leo could answer, Nyssa cried out, "Guys, look at this!"

She was standing at one of the worktables, flipping through a sketchbook—diagrams for hundreds of different machines and weapons.

"I've never seen anything like these," Nyssa said. "There are more amazing ideas here than in Daedalus' workshop. It would take a century just to prototype them all."

"Who built this place?" Jake Mason said. "And why?"

Chiron stayed silent, but Leo focused on the wall map he'd seen during his first visit. It showed Camp Half-Blood with a line of triremes in the Sound, catapults mounted in the hills around the valley, and spots marked for traps, trenches, and ambush sites.

"It's a wartime command center," he said. "The camp was attacked once, wasn't it?"

"In the Titan War?" Piper asked.

Nyssa shook her head. "No. Besides, that map looks _really_ old. The date…does that say 1864?"

They all turned to Chiron.

The centaur's tail swished fretfully. "This camp has been attacked many times," he admitted. "That map is from the last Civil War." Apparently, Leo wasn't the only one confused. The other Hephaestus campers looked at each other and frowned.

"Civil War…" Piper said. "You mean the American Civil War, like a hundred and fifty years ago?"

" _Cool_ …"

"Yes and no," Chiron said. "The two conflicts—mortal and demigod—mirrored each other, as they usually do in Western history. Look at any civil war or revolution from the fall of Rome onward, and it marks a time when demigods also fought one another. But _that_ Civil War was particularly horrible. For American mortals, it is still their bloodiest conflict of all time—worse than their casualties in the two World Wars. For demigods, it was equally devastating. Even back then, this valley was Camp Half-Blood. There was a horrible battle in these woods lasting for days, with terrible losses on both sides."

"Both sides," Leo said. "You mean the camp split apart?"

"No," Jason spoke up. "He means two different groups. Camp Half-Blood was one side in the war."

Leo wasn't sure he wanted an answer, but he asked, "Who was the other?"

Chiron glanced up at the tattered Bunker Nine banner, as if remembering the day it was raised.

"The answer is dangerous," he warned. "It is something I swore upon the River Styx never to speak of. After the American Civil War, the gods were so horrified by the toll it took on their children, that they swore it would never happen again. The two groups were separated. The gods bent all their will, wove the Mist as tightly as they could, to make sure the enemies never remembered each other, never met on their quests, so that bloodshed could be avoided. This map is from the final dark days of 1864, the last time the two groups fought. We've had several close calls since then. The nineteen sixties were particularly dicey. But we've managed to avoid another civil war—at least so far. Just as Leo guessed, this bunker was a command center for the Hephaestus cabin. In the last century, it has been reopened a few times, usually as a hiding place in times of great unrest. But coming here is dangerous. It stirs old memories, awakens the old feuds. Even when the Titans threatened last year, I did not think it worth the risk to use this place."

Suddenly Leo's sense of triumph turned to guilt. "Hey, look, this place found _me_. It was meant to happen. It's a good thing."

"I hope you're right," Chiron said.

"I am!" Leo pulled the old drawing out of his pocket and spread it on the table for everyone to see.

"There," he said proudly. "Aeolus returned that to me. I drew it when I was five. That's my destiny."

Nyssa frowned. "Leo, it's a crayon drawing of a boat."

"Look." He pointed at the largest schematic on the bulletin board—the blueprint showing a Greek trireme. Slowly, his cabin-mates' eyes widened as they compared the two designs. The number of masts and oars, even the decorations on the shields and sails were exactly the same as on Leo's drawing.

"Holy freaking crap!" Riss swamped Leo in a hug. "You are a genius!"

"That's impossible," Nyssa said. "That blueprint has to be a century old at least."

"' _Prophecy—Unclear—Flight,_ '" Jake Mason read from the notes on the blueprint. "It's a diagram for a flying ship. Look, that's the landing gear. And weaponry—Holy Hephaestus: rotating ballista, mounted crossbows, Celestial bronze plating. That thing would be one spankin' hot war machine. Was it ever made?"

"Not yet," Leo said. "Look at the masthead."

There was no doubt—the figure at the front of the ship was the head of a dragon. A very particular dragon.

"Festus," Piper said. Everyone turned and looked at the dragon's head sitting on the table.

"He's meant to be our masthead," Leo said. "Our good luck charm, our eyes at sea. I'm supposed to build this ship. I'm gonna call it the _Argo II_. And guys, I'll need your help."

"The _Argo II_." Piper smiled. "After Jason's ship."

Jason looked a little uncomfortable, but he nodded. "Leo's right. That ship is just what we need for our journey."

"What journey?" Nyssa said. "You just got back!"

Piper ran her fingers over the old crayon drawing. "We've got to confront Porphyrion, the giant king. He said he would destroy the gods at their roots."

"Indeed," Chiron said. "Much of Rachel's Great Prophecy is still a mystery to me, but one thing is clear. You three—Jason, Piper, and Leo—are among the seven demigods who must take on that quest. You must confront the giants in their homeland, where they are strongest. You must stop them before they can wake Gaea fully, before they destroy Mount Olympus."

"Um…" Nyssa shifted. "You don't mean Manhattan, do you?"

"Sorry, Nyssa," Riss apologized. "The original Mount Olympus. Brush up on your Ancient Greek – we're sailing to Greece."

 **XXXXX**

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 **OH MY GOD! SHE'S ALIVE!**

 **In this chapter, we see Piper as the Captain of the Jerissa Ship, would anyone like to be co-Captain? And we also saw extra-protective Jason Grace and kisses.**

 **Anyway, the next chapter is the last chapter of** ** _Atlantic!_** **I'm going to be sad when it ends but there will be slightly-intimidating Nerissa Jackson and a cute Jerissa moment to look out for.**

 **FIVE REVIEWS FOR THE NEXT CHAPTER PLEASE!**

 **~ Raven**


	23. PSI

_**PSI | THE COUNCIL CONVENES WITH A LEOPARD HEAD TO DISCUSS THE ENEMY**_

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 **Disclaimer: I do not own the Heroes of Olympus series or any of the characters. I only own the character Nerissa Jackson and her original plot lines and dialogue.**

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 **THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER OF** ** _ATLANTIC_** **, WEEP WITH ME. THE CHAPTER IS DEDICATED TO _Nyte_** **,** ** _Rose1414_ , ****_Agazeamongstthestars_** **, _Guest_** **,** ** _Arianna Le Fay_ , _Imprisoned Wings_ , _Spunky89_ , _Ria_ , ****_NicoleR85_** **,** ** _Phoenixfire Produtions_ , ****_DreamHunterVo_** **AND** ** _yasminasfeir1_** **FOR YOUR REVIEWS!**

 ** _Phoenixfire Produtions_ IS ALSO THE DESIGNATED CO-CAPTAIN OF THE JERISSA SHIP!**

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 **PLEASE READ THE A/N, IT'S SUPER-DUPER IMPORTANT!**

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Riss had retreated to the lake prior to the meeting of the council.

She was seated, cross-legged, under the water, breathing easily in her element. The naiads swum past her lazily, at ease when it was just the daughter of Poseidon in the lake with her. The light current tugged Riss' hair out behind her as she let out a sigh, a loud noise that echoed in the water.

The green-eyed girl looked up as an oar broke the surface of the calm lake and she kicked off the bottom of the lake, swimming up with the ease of a mermaid.

"Hi."

Jason looked over the side of the canoe, feeling a little out of place in the water. He had been looking for Nerissa, wondering where she was and hoping to find her somewhere along the shoreline. She wasn't there, so he had taken a small canoe (a sea-green one with 'PJ' and 'NJ' engraved on the side) and hoped that he wasn't going to go for an unplanned swim.

He breathed a sigh of relief, "Riss. I thought I was going to have to swim to find you."

"Probably not a good idea," the Jackson girl pulled herself gracefully into the canoe. She was completely dry, which Jason thought was really cool and she trailed her fingers lightly through the water, like she was saying goodbye to her father. Jason watched her, entranced, until Riss sat up again, meeting his eyes, "Given that you're old man is Zeus."

The sky gave an ever-so-slight rumble and Riss shook her head, ignoring how she seemed to have angered the gods. It was only really her that the sky rumbled at anymore and Nerissa really didn't understand, given that Olympus was closed and the gods and goddesses were no shows.

"I'm scared," Riss admittedly suddenly and Jason looked at her in worry. "Something is really _wrong_. In particular with me. I should be dead but I'm not."

Jason reached out a hand, gripping Riss', "Don't be scared. We'll get answers, _real_ ones. _Together_."

"Together," the sea-green-eyed girl smirked and leant forward. She nudged her nose against Jason's and then ghosted her lips over his, "I like the sound of that."

"Me too." Jason closed the gap between them quickly. They kissed for a few long, blissful moments before they pulled away from each other.

A trio of naiads swam past the canoe, giggling and pointed at the two demigods. One of them made a heart shape with her fingers and Riss rolled her eyes, flicking her hand and making water wash the young nymph away. She giggled even more, winking at Jason as she moved passed.

"Ignore them," Riss advised Jason, still lightly blushing from their kiss. "Nymphs are terrible flirts."

Jason grinned, "You too, _Nymph Girl_?"

Nerissa blushed more strongly at that and wrinkled her nose up at Jason and pointed at the oars, "Start rowing, _Sparky._ "

The son of Jupiter grinned before leaning in to kiss the girl across from him firmly on the lips. Riss returned the kiss and Jason realised he didn't mind what they were defined as, just as long as they were together.

"Anything for you."

Nerissa tossed her head back and laughed, leaning forward to peck Jason's cheek, fondly teasing, " _Romantic_. You've been spending too much time around Piper."

 **XXXXX**

The council was nothing like Jason imagined. For one thing, it was in the Big House rec room, around a Ping-Pong table, and one of the satyrs was serving nachos and sodas. Somebody had brought Seymour the leopard head in from the living room and hung him on the wall. Every once in a while, a counselor would toss him a Snausage.

Jason looked around the room and tried to remember everyone's name. Thankfully, Leo and Piper were sitting next to him—it was their first meeting as senior counselors. Clarisse, leader of the Ares cabin, had her boots on the table but nobody seemed to care. Clovis from Hypnos cabin was snoring in the corner while Butch from Iris cabin was seeing how many pencils he could fit in Clovis' nostrils. Travis Stoll from Hermes was holding a lighter under a Ping-Pong ball to see if it would burn, and Will Solace from Apollo was absently wrapping and unwrapping an Ace bandage around his wrist.

The counselor from Hecate cabin, Lou Ellen something-or-other, was playing 'got-your-nose' with Miranda Gardiner from Demeter, except that Lou Ellen really _had_ magically disconnected Miranda's nose, and Miranda was trying to get it back. Riss, the only person other than Annabeth that Jason, Piper and Leo was really comfortable with, was a few seats away, playing with water from a glass and using it to clean her sword. She was quietly singing under her breath, bored out of her mind.

" _Let's get down to business. To defeat the Huns. Did they send me daughters, when I asked for sons?_ " Riss frowned, pausing, " _Hades yeah_ , they sent you _daughters_. We kick ass."

Jason chuckled at her words but still wasn't too happy. He had hoped Thalia would show. She'd promised, after all—but she was nowhere to be seen. Chiron had told him not to worry about it. Thalia often got sidetracked fighting monsters or running quests for Artemis, and she would probably arrive soon. But still, Jason worried.

Rachel Dare, the oracle, sat next to Chiron at the head of the table. She was wearing her Clarion Academy school uniform dress, which seemed a bit odd, but she smiled at Jason.

Annabeth didn't look so relaxed. She wore armor over her camp clothes, with her knife at her side and her blond hair pulled back in a ponytail. As soon as Jason walked in, she fixed him with an expectant look, as if she were trying to extract information out of him by sheer willpower. Riss had flicked her on the arm at that, having noticed too.

"Let's come to order," Chiron said. "Lou Ellen, please give Miranda her nose back. Travis, if you'd kindly extinguish the flaming Ping-Pong ball, Butch, I think twenty pencils is really too many for any human nostril and Nerissa—" Riss looked up with a smirk, tossing her sword to her other hand and Chiron gave her a deadpanned look before leaving her alone. There was really _no_ point telling the Jackson girl off. "Thank you. Now, as you can see, Jason, Nerissa, Piper, and Leo have returned successfully…more or less. Some of you have heard parts of their story, but I will let them fill you in."

Everyone looked at Jason. He cleared his throat and began the story. Piper and Leo chimed in from time to time, filling in the details he forgot. Riss stayed silent for the most part, mainly listening to the things she missed out on.

It only took a few minutes but it seemed like longer with everyone watching him. The silence was heavy, and for so many ADHD demigods to sit still listening for that long, Jason knew the story must have sounded pretty wild. He ended with Hera's visit right before the meeting.

"So Hera was _here_ ," Annabeth said. "Talking to you."

Jason nodded. "Look, I'm not saying I trust her—"

"That's smart," Annabeth said.

" _Annabeth_ ," Riss scolded lightly.

"—but she isn't making this up about another group of demigods. That's where I came from."

"Romans." Clarisse tossed Seymour a Snausage. "You expect us to believe there's another camp with demigods, but they follow the Roman forms of the gods. And we've never even heard of them."

"Better believe it, babe," Riss commented. Her friendship – despite Clarisse's apparent hatred of Percy – was unique and they trusted each other. Percy had never understood their friendship. "I don't want to trust Hera, she almost killed me, but she is telling the truth."

Jason shot the black-haired girl a look, "She _did_ kill you."

Riss waved it off with a look on her face that clearly said 'technicalities, technicalities.' The blonde boy rolled his eyes but was smiling at the daughter of Poseidon like she was the most important person in the room.

Piper sat forward. "The gods have kept the two groups apart, because every time they see each other, they try to kill each other."

"I can respect that," Clarisse said. "Still, why haven't we ever run across each other on quests?"

"Oh, yes," Chiron said sadly. "You have, many times. It's always a tragedy, and always the gods do their best to wipe clean the memories of those involved. The rivalry goes all the way back to the Trojan War, Clarisse. The Greeks invaded Troy and burned it to the ground. The Trojan hero Aeneas escaped, and eventually made his way to Italy, where he founded the race that would someday become Rome. The Romans grew more and more powerful, worshipping the same gods but under different names, and with slightly different personalities."

"More warlike," Jason said. "More united. More about expansion, conquest, and discipline."

"Yuck," Travis put in. Several of the others looked equally uncomfortable, though Clarisse shrugged like it sounded okay to her. Riss didn't seem to mind either, she wasn't too fazed by the Roman's attitude, finding it almost… _admirable_.

Annabeth twirled her knife on the table. "And the Romans hated the Greeks. They took revenge when they conquered the Greek isles, and made them part of the Roman Empire."

"Not exactly _hated_ them," Jason said. "The Romans admired Greek culture, and were a little jealous. In return, the Greeks thought the Romans were barbarians, but they respected their military power. So during Roman times, demigods started to divide—either Greek or Roman."

"And it's been that way ever since," Annabeth guessed. "But this is crazy. Chiron, where were the Romans during the Titan War? Didn't they want to help?"

Chiron tugged at his beard. "They _did_ help, Annabeth. While you and Percy were leading the battle to save Manhattan, who do think conquered Mount Othrys, the Titans' base in California?"

"Hold on," Travis said. "You said Mount Othrys just crumbled when we beat Kronos."

"No," Jason said. He remembered flashes of the battle—a giant in starry armor and a helm mounted with ram's horns. He remembered his army of demigods scaling Mount Tam, fighting through hordes of snake monsters. "It didn't just fall. We destroyed their palace. I defeated the Titan Krios myself."

Riss' eyes were wide, a somewhat dreamy look on her face as she appraised Jason. Annabeth's eyes were as stormy as a _ventus_. Jason could almost see her thoughts moving, putting the pieces together.

"The Bay Area." Annabeth thought aloud. "We demigods were always told to stay away from it because Mount Othrys was there. But that wasn't the only reason, was it? The Roman camp—it's got to be somewhere near San Francisco. I bet it was put there to keep watch on the Titans' territory. Where is it?"

Chiron shifted in his wheelchair. "I cannot say. Honestly, even _I_ have never been trusted with that information. My counterpart, Lupa, is not exactly the sharing type. Jason's memory, too, has been burned away."

"The camp's heavily veiled with magic," Jason said. "And heavily guarded. We could search for years and never find it."

Rachel Dare laced her fingers. Of all the people in the room, only she didn't seem nervous about the conversation. "But you'll try, won't you? You'll build Leo's boat, the _Argo II_. And before you make for Greece, you'll sail for the Roman camp. You'll need their help to confront the giants."

"Bad plan," Clarisse warned. "If those Romans see a warship coming, they'll assume we're attacking."

Riss nodded, "So, we'll either need to be stealthy and risk death _or_ we need to start off by being open about why we're there and risk death." The others around the table gulped and the Jackson girl scoffed, "Wow, so much option."

"You're probably right," Jason agreed. "But we have to try. I was sent here to learn about Camp Half-Blood, to try to convince you the two camps don't have to be enemies. A peace offering."

"Hmm," Rachel said. "Because Hera is convinced we need both camps to win the war with the giants. Seven heroes of Olympus—some Greek, some Roman."

Annabeth nodded. "Your Great Prophecy—what's the last line?"

"' _And foes bear arms to the Doors of Death._ '"

"Gaea has opened the Doors of Death," Annabeth said. "She's letting out the worst villains of the Underworld to fight us. Medea, Midas—there'll be more, I'm sure. Maybe the line means that the Roman and Greek demigods will unite, and find the doors, and close them."

"Or it could mean they fight each other at the doors of death," Clarisse pointed out. "It doesn't say we'll cooperate." There was silence as the campers let that happy thought sink in.

"Well," Riss broke the silence. "I'm in. Annie?"

"I'm going," Annabeth nodded. "Jason, when you get this ship built, let me go with you."

"I was hoping you'd offer," Jason said. "You of all people—we'll need you."

"Wait." Leo frowned. "I mean that's cool with me and all. But why Annabeth of all people?"

Annabeth and Jason studied one another, and Jason knew she had put it together. She saw the dangerous truth and to confirm, the Annabeth flashed her grey eyes to her dark-haired best friend.

Riss nodded and met Annabeth's eyes, "I almost left her there, Annie. I was _so_ tempted to leave Hera to die there in the Wolf House because she _stole_ him."

The Chase girl watched the anger and exhaustion swirl in Riss' eyes, "Have we got everyone?"

"Almost," Riss admitted. "Jason, Leo, Piper, you and I – Percy and I count as one – so we're the first five of the seven. There's just two more; I assume Percy will be sent on a quest like we were, so the other two will be the ones with him."

"Two?" Annabeth inquired and Riss rolled her eyes.

"Perce isn't _always_ as stupid as me in this aspect – four was dangerous and I died. He'll only take two others on the quest." Riss slid her sword into the sheath at her back, something she did when she was in camp for easy access. "Percy isn't an idiot, he's our camp's leader." She glanced at the son of Hermes present, "Five _drachma_ says Percy's there, leading the Roman camp."

Travis snapped his fingers, "You're on."

"Hera said my coming here was an exchange of leaders," Jason continued along with what Riss was saying, pre-bet. "A way for the two camps to learn of each other's existence."

"Yeah?" Leo said. "So?"

"An exchange goes two ways," Jason said. "When I got here, my memory was wiped. I didn't know who I was or where I belonged. Fortunately, you guys took me in and I found a new home. I know you're not my enemy. The Roman camp—they're not so friendly. You prove your worth quickly, or you don't survive. They may not be so nice to him, and if they learn where he comes from, he's going to be in serious trouble."

"He's survived. I'd know if he didn't," Riss nodded once, the ripples in her green eyes moving like a tsunami.

"Him?" Leo said. "Who are you talking about?"

"My boyfriend," Annabeth said grimly. "He disappeared around the same time Jason appeared. If Jason came to Camp Half-Blood—"

"Exactly," Jason agreed. "Percy Jackson is at the other camp, and he probably doesn't even remember who he is."

Riss' eyes were equally as stormy as Annabeth's and she slammed her fist onto the table, the first time Jason, Piper and Leo had actually seen the daughter of Poseidon lose her temper. "Hera took my _twin brother_ from us and I promise on the River Styx, I am getting him back, so this all depends on us getting to the Romans." She looked around the table. " _And we're almost ready_."

 **XXXXX**

Hera stood beside her husband, watching Nerissa Jackson.

The _connection_.

Zeus was literally sparking, small bolts of electricity flicking off his grey suit as he watched his son kiss a girl who was supposed to be his enemy. Zeus' rivalry with Poseidon was all-consuming and the sky god expected it to extend to his children. But both of his children adored Nerissa.

"She will know the truth soon, wife."

Hera rolled her eyes, shoving her hands onto her hips. "I expect her to. I know you dislike her, husband, but Nerissa Jackson can save us all."

"I doubt it. I also blame you for this all, Hera. Nerissa is not the 'connection' as you so claim. She's just a sea-brat with—"

Hera cut Zeus off, "—the gifts of a _goddess_. Nerissa has not been a 'demigod' since the second Titan War and she never will be again."

The god of the sky gave a rather immature scoff.

"She is the chosen one – the _connection_ – between everything!" Hera pressed. "The connection between the Greek and Roman camps, the connection between the demigods and the gods. _Your_ son ensured that, I only helped him along."

"Do not take all the credit," Zeus grumbled. "Remember _she_ orchestrated this all. _She_ will be the one watching Nerissa and _she_ will be the one tasking her daughter's with the girl's fate."

Apollo had worked his magic and had given Nerissa what she asked for, a variation of the gift of prophecy, just like the gods had given Perseus what he had asked for, but the Jackson girl was gifted with something else. Something that she could use to fight against the giants and possibly… _win_.

Ananke had seen Nerissa' fate the moment she was conceived, her rise and fall and the undying love she had for Jason Grace, the son of Jupiter and the undying love he had for her. But now, the future was foggy because Nerissa had lived and she would only grow in power until she either stopped Gaea or helped her defeat the gods.

But Hera had faith in the young daughter of Poseidon.

For Nerissa was now a demigoddess – the patron goddess of _all_ demigods – and she would die before her bonded, Jason Grace, was harmed.

 **XXXXX**

* * *

 **This is really short, it's like an epilogue.**

 **THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER OF** ** _ATLANTIC_** **! I AM CRYING! BUT NOT REALLY, BECAUSE THIS IS BOOK ONE OF (I'M HOPING) FOUR!**

 **I just finished my English exam so I'm breathing again and updating too.**

 **RISS IS A DEMIGODDESS, SAY WHAT!? So, demigoddess, as in MINOR goddess, just in case you didn't get it. I also want to say, right now, Riss will NOT be super powerful, she's only a DEMIgoddess after all. But it means she can do some pretty kickass shit.**

 **I also know that instead of Poseidon's reaction to his daughter dying, we have Zeus being a dick but I assure you, you will all know about Poseidon's love for his daughter in the next story. Look out for that.**

 **Much love to everyone who supported this story and reviewed! And the first chapter of the NEXT STORY WILL BE POSTED REALLY SOON. I'M NOT KIDDING, LIKE TEN TO FIFTEEN MINUTES FROM NOW.**

 **~ Raven**


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